


Look at Us

by ishiharaSATURDAY



Category: Before Crisis: Final Fantasy VII, Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII Remake (Video Game 2020), Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children
Genre: Alternate Universe - Bounty Hunters, Bisexuality, Blood and Violence, Cowboy Bebop Jazz, Crossdressing, Eventual Smut, Explicit Sexual Content, F/F, F/M, Fantasizing, Friendship/Love, Gen, Guardians Volume II Mix Tape, Hurt/Comfort, Jealousy, M/M, Memory Loss, Multi, POV Multiple, Pining, Porn With Plot, Rare Pairings, Redemption, Romance, Slow Build, Slow Burn, Star Wars physics apply, TURKS! IN SPACE!
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-03
Updated: 2020-11-03
Packaged: 2021-03-04 04:47:49
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 15
Words: 28,925
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24527872
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ishiharaSATURDAY/pseuds/ishiharaSATURDAY
Summary: Everyone knows that bounty hunting is a complicated profession. Where does that leave two men with a past, and one woman with none at all? The Turks are forced to navigate New Gaia without a leader, and without a purpose. Is someone pulling the strings from behind the scenes?Here for the porn? Go to Chapter 15! M/M
Relationships: Aerith Gainsborough/Tifa Lockhart, Elena & Reno & Rude (Compilation of FFVII), Elena & Reno (Compilation of FFVII), Elena/Reno (Compilation of FFVII), Reno & Rude (Compilation of FFVII), Reno/Biggs, Reno/Rude (Compilation of FFVII)
Comments: 8
Kudos: 14





	1. Clueless

**Author's Note:**

> I must preface the following shenanigans with the fact that I am a huge fan of Star Wars, the MCU and 90s anime. No pairings, no bumping of uglies and nothing too sessy... YET. Tags will change pending progress in the story! 
> 
> Now, go forth bravely into the dark, as I have, guns blazing.
> 
> For context: https://youtu.be/3Yd3lQVbkYc
> 
> ♪ Fleetwood Mac - The Chain ♪

Space is cold. So cold you can feel it in your bones, an inescapable chill that permeates every cell in your body.

The cold comes with a darkness, equally consuming. I would shut my eyes and let it swallow me whole. I would if not for the pulsing red light that's punctuating my slow, well-deserved (I’m sure) demise. I would if not for the squawking chocobo of a buzzer telling me that the craft is all out of mako, and that I've however long left to live.

"Just shut it already." I kick the control panel, sending a flimsy key cap flying towards the window. I wait for the clickety-clack of it hitting the glass so I can figure out where it's landed and put it back like it mattered anymore whether things were in their rightful place or not.

I hear nothing, and my stomach hitches. I hear absolutely nothing.

The artificial gravity has cut out. I pull at the latch of my belt and let myself float up to the window. My cheek presses up against the glass as I look out at the great expanse.

It's dark now, and also very quiet. Just what I've been waiting for. Longing for? Stupid red light. Stupid buzzer. Now, I can just suffocate peacefully. Or freeze to death, peacefully. I wonder which way I'll go.

Now, how did I get here? I wish I could say it was a long story, but it's shamefully short. The last time the log had enough mako energy to display any entries, I had been cruising through the cosmos for six Gaia days. What happened before that is anyone's guess.

I know my name is 'Elena' because it says so on my flight suit. Also, I can read. Big whoop.

I am Elena, and I'm going to die. Alone. In space.

* * *

A pressure builds in my face, from my nose to my brow, then my cheeks, jaw. My teeth cut into the flesh of my lower lip. I feel my hands being flung forward, and they smack the window with a crack so loud and painful that I feel it in my spine.

“FUCK! WHAT THE FUCK F’- ” The light is blinding me. _Is this it? Is this death? No, death can’t possibly… What is…_

I am staring into the bow lights of some idiot’s ship. Some idiot’s much, much larger ship. My hands do nothing to shield me from the glare, and I’m struggling to make out any humanoid shapes past the one-way blast screen said idiot has up.

As my eyes adjust, I am faced with an additional affront. There is a crack in the glass.

My fingers are drawn to its centre like a child’s to candy. I’m tempted to press against the web of lines. I wonder how much it would take to…

The bow lights flicker off. I can only sigh as I draw my hand back. _Now, show yourself, dumbass._

Long limbs gesture wildly beyond a now transparent screen, and I wonder if this man’s hair acts as a mood indicator. A bald man sits stoically next to Crazy Red. He’s adjusting a pair of shades with patience completely unbefitting of the situation.

A closer look reveals that their ship’s bow is sporting a dent. _How do you crash into something when you have literally all the space in the universe to move through?_

I would laugh, but my little pod is rocked again. Idiot ship is pulling me in.

With no mako, I have no options. I shoot Crazy Red and Baldy a dirty look, and raise two middle fingers in salutation as my craft is dragged under the hull and into the landing bay of S.S. Idiocy.

* * *

“Welcome aboard, yo!” He speaks a language I understand. All I see are legs as the hatch above me is opened and a rush of reasonably fresh air fills my space. It’s the deepest breath I’ve been able to take in I don’t know how long. It feels good to breathe.

“Hey! Ou-! Ugh!!” My collar tightens around my neck as I am yanked upwards and outwards. My hands shoot up to my throat, but the discomfort is brief. Within seconds, my feet are planted on the solid surface of the landing bay. Artificial gravity brings me to my knees as I try to straighten my back, assert my position.

“Steady there, small fry. Looks like you’ve been out there a long time. Ship’s all out of mako, hey. You’re lucky,” half-gloved knuckles rap the side of the engine, and Crazy Red opens up a panel almost professionally.

“You crashed into my ship!” I say with as much conviction as I can muster.

“We were coming out of hyperspace. The coordinates were clear. I guess you were too tiny to register on our scanners,” he shrugs and digs deeper into the engine, yanking out piece after piece, tossing each one aside. _Why is he…_

“Are you scrapping my ship right in front of me? What kind of cheap bastard does that?” I say it’s my ship. I don’t actually know that for sure.

“How else are you going to pay us back for saving your life? Unless…” He is looking right at me as he slams the panel shut and twirls a spanner in his hand. Blue-grey eyes survey me from head to toe, and I somehow feel exposed in this baggy, all-encompassing flight suit.

Warmth lands on my shoulders. I flinch a little when I turn to see a fleece blanket being draped over me by Baldy.

“We have food. You should eat.” Gloved hands leave my shoulders and the taller man walks away before I can say anything. _Thanks. I see you’re the nice one._

“Follow Rude. He’ll get you fixed up,” Crazy Red mutters and points at his lip before turning to another part of the forlorn craft I had previously called home.

I lift my hand and graze my bottom lip with my fingers, which come away with crusted flecks of blood. Swallowing hard, I wrap the blanket tighter around myself and shuffle off in the direction Baldy- no, Rude, went.

_Elena, Rude and Crazy Red._

“The name’s Reno, by the way.” I don’t turn around.

_Elena, Rude and Reno._


	2. The Size of Watermelons

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Slowly, but surely, picking up the pace! Elena is no damsel in distress, but you already knew that. I'm trying to get the hang of describing fight scenes. Wait till I figure out how to describe sexy times. LOL. So far, Rude is my best boy.
> 
> ♪ Capital Cities - Stayin Alive (Cover) ♪

It has been a full Gaia year since I joined the Turks. And, to be frank, life isn’t half bad. 

I learned very early on that bounty hunting is a risky but extremely profitable business, and that I had a natural talent for it.

The first time I looked into a mirror, I saw a glimpse of it. 

I stood in front of one in the washing area after Rude had cleared away the plates and mugs from in front of me that first day I boarded. The rehydrated bread and beans had been a sucker punch to my system, assuring me that I was indeed human, and that I needed to get to a waste chute as quickly as possible.

Having gargled and spit out the bits of bile-coated bread that managed to get stuck in my teeth on the way back up my tract, I doused my face in a few splashes of water. When I looked up, hazel brown eyes stared weakly back at me. A small face with a smattering of light freckles across the nose bridge was framed by ash blonde hair, cut asymmetrically, favouring the right side. I had to tip toe to see the mouth, which was small, pink and chapped. The image of this face hovered in my mind for a bit before the inner workings filed it away as miscellaneous information. _You look…ordinary. If anyone is looking for you, they’re going to have a hard time._

That day, Elena was a petite, demure-looking, young woman with six days’ worth of uneventful memories stored in her noggin save for one involving two strange men picking her up and treating her like a wounded animal. I was Elena then, and I still am now.

* * *

“Meeting with Tseng in an hour, yo,” Reno grins and nudges my arm, “Is our guest ready?”

_Tseng._

“Uh… yea, of course. I patched him up the moment we brought him onboard,” muttering, I hope Reno doesn’t notice me brushing a stray lock of hair behind my ear and blushing. I must be blushing because my face suddenly feels like it’s been pushed up against the exhaust of an X-class Interceptor.

“You look fine. How many times have you scribbled ‘Mrs Elena Whatever-Tseng’s-Last-Name-Is’ on some parchment this week? Are we past the one-million mark yet?” Reno’s nasal drawl is one that I am familiar with, but never ready for. 

“There’s nothing wrong with wanting to… leave a good impression. Tseng is… Tseng values things like proper grooming. I want to look nice so that… We don’t check in with him often, and I don’t see any problem with staying in his good graces, so we can get the good… cases…and stuff…” _What on Gaia am I saying?_

I wish I could remotely mute Reno’s laughter as I get up from the co-pilot’s seat. It follows me through the bridge and into the holo-room, where Rude has undoubtedly heard the entire exchange.

Rude has all the necessary documentation spread out on the desk, the mission report, our guild identification chips, seized contraband from the target, the target’s prints, retina scans and hair sample. Rude always dots his i’s and crosses his t’s. I admire his work and take a seat behind him.

“Nervous?” Rude’s barritone cuts through the light hum of the holo-generator.

“Why is it so obvious?” I lean back in the seat and exhale. _Don’t think about him. Don’t think about his sleek hair. His strong shoulders. His beautiful face. Those arms. Those hands. And, his voice. His voice is like… like… DON’T THINK ABOUT HIM._

“Tseng thinks highly of you, you know,” Rude continues, his gloved hands gliding over the specs, altering them with deft precision.

“That’s the problem, isn’t it? I have so much to lose. One slip up, and he’ll see that I’m nothing more than a simpering school girl with a massive crush on the student body president,” I spit out the worst possible analogy, which also happens to be the most representative of my circumstances.

Rude says nothing. I have always found his silence comforting.

“I’m going to check on our guest,” I take my leave from Rude and his preparations, and head to the holding cells. _I need to clear my head. Tseng cannot see me like this._

* * *

I walked back to the recreation area. My stomach was no longer doing cartwheels, and I saw that there was a bottle of some kind of cure on the table, next to a tumbler of water. _I must thank Rude._

“… Nothing. Zilch. She doesn’t exist…”

“Even on the lower division tables?”

“Not even on the missing persons’ list, yo. There’s no one matching her name or description. She’s not even worth a single gil to us.”

“Have you looked into the Shinra Academy records?”

“Shinra is dead, man. Have you met anyone from that junk factory in the last, what… five, six years? That place blew up with the rest of Midgar.”

“But, her flight suit. It’s black.”

“Yeah, and ours were blue. Didn’t make us special then, doesn’t make her special now. Shinra ranks mean shit in Avalanche’s economy.”

_Shinra. Midgar. Avalanche._ Bells were ringing in my head, but from where and when, I could not determine. I figured that eavesdropping would only serve to aggravate me, and took a heavy step in the direction of the cockpit. The three of us were in need of a real conversation.

“What about death records?” I tossed my hat into the ring.

“Nothing there, squirt. Sorry to disappoint!” Reno sneered. _Is this fun for him?_

Rude turned to face me from his position in the co-pilot’s seat. A subtle nod from him was all it took for me to catch his drift.

“I’m feeling a lot better. Thank you,” I flashed him a genuine smile.

“If we were lesser men, we’d drop you off in Sector 6. You’re lucky we aren’t. We’re almost at Junon. You can start piecing your life together from there, I suppose. We are keeping your Shinra starship though. It’s old, but its parts will fetch enough to cover your little stint with us,” Reno didn’t even bother to look me in the eye as he started dictating my fate.

I looked down at my flight suit. I squinted at my name, then at two characters superimposed onto a red square, in script I vaguely recognised. “Am I from this… Shinra Academy?”

“And they say there’s no such thing as a stupid question,” Reno replied, “We. Do. Not. Know. And, it appears, neither do you, so.”

At that, Rude got up and guided me out of the cockpit. Whether it was annoyance or sympathy, I couldn’t tell, but I let him lead me away from Reno and his sass with no objection.

“You’ll need to get rid of that flight suit. Any link to Shinra is not going to be welcome on Junon,” Rude brought me to a lower deck, and into a hallway lined with lockers and benches. The space looked like it could fit at least twenty people, yet only two lockers showed signs of life.

Rude tapped on a locker that was slightly ajar and it sprung open with little resistance. When he turned around, he had two articles of clothing in his hands. One plain white shirt and one pair of black utility trousers. They didn’t look like they’d fit either Reno or Rude. _Who did they belong to?_

Handing them over to me, Rude pointed down a darkened hallway and gave me instructions on how to get to the showers. I should have paid attention, but my mind was racing with questions. _Who are you two? Why are you on this huge ship? What’s there on Junon? Is Shinra bad?_

I started moving down the hallway, and when I turned to ask Rude about the other lockers, he had already turned the corner and headed back to the cockpit. I looked deep into the darkness. _Did he say ‘left’? Or, was it ‘right’…_

A faint green glow peeked out from under some blast doors. I shuffled around in the dark, feeling for a panel or something to open the doors with. I feared I might have taken a wrong turn, but my pride wouldn’t let me admit it.

BEEP. _There we go._ I was in desperate need of a shower. I thought of how Rude had politely dropped the hint without making it awkward, and decided that I needed to learn how to do that too.

“Out of my way, bitch!”

_This isn’t the showers._ I stuck my right leg out instinctively and felt a man’s ankle hook around mine. WHAM! He hit the floor face first, then scrambled to his feet, blood spluttering from his nose and mouth.

“Pff-Turk BEtsCh!” The man attempted a roundhouse kick. Bad move. I ducked, jabbing my elbow into his crotch and grabbing his ankle as it flew over my head. Widening my stance, I pulled down, bracing his thigh over my shoulder while lunging forward, and allowing his head to crack against a pipe as he was flung over to the other side. His body lay limp at the doorway of the cell I’d accidentally opened, blood from his mouth flowing into the grate just beyond. _Gross._

“Damn, Elena. You have balls the size of…” Reno stood a few feet away, blinking, “You didn’t even flinch.”

“Sorry. Did you need him alive?” I feigned concern, looking at the white shirt Rude had given me. It was now soaked in blood.

“Do you need a job?” Reno grinned.

“You answer first.”

“Not really. Dead or alive. Your turn.”

“How much does it pay?”

“Lots.”


	3. Role Models

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Elena is thirsty. Reno is badly behaved. Rude is complicit. A rare Tseng appears.
> 
> I want to give Cloud a bigger role, but he only works for me when he's in a dress. Should we get Cloud in a dress in here?
> 
> ♪ Creedence Clearwater Revival - Gloomy ♪

"Turks, thank you for joining us on such short notice." His voice is gliding through the holo-room, slipping past my ears and warming me from the inside. I imagine his lips pressing against my nape as he says...

"Elena, would you like to give us a report on your encounter with Mr Kyle?"

"Yes... I mean, yes, sir!" _Get a grip, woman!_

Reno is stifling a giggle, but I will not be fazed by his antics. I adjust my slim tie, which can serve as a noose if I lose my cool again, as I step up to the controls. Opening the mission report, I begin.

"As you can see, it was a straight forward operation. We tracked Mr Kyle to Central Wutai following a rendezvous with some of his runners. At an establishment owned by Mr Kyle, Reno and Rude created a distraction at the front of house while I infiltrated Mr Kyle's back office and brought him in. Here you'll see that the damage was minimal. The diversion created by Reno and Rude was reported to local law enforcement as 'a drunken altercation between lovers', and the incident failed to make it to the evening gazette..."

"Aw, baby, we didn't make the big time. Shucks," Reno coos and flutters his dark lashes at Rude, who simply clears his throat.

"If I may continue... Mr Kyle is currently in our custody, along with a supply of contraband that we estimate is worth roughly 2 million gil on the Gaia market. He is ready for processing at your say so," closing the file, I step back from the podium to my spot on Reno's left.

"Excellent. May I ask, Elena, how exactly did you infiltrate Mr Kyle's office?" Tseng's voice deepens, his blue silhouette leaning in.

"I...just. I just walked in?" I state the first thing that comes to mind and instantly regret it. _We are here to impress, idiot! Idiot! Idiot! Elena, you idiot!_

"I see. That could be the strongest card in your hand, Elena. It's easy for bounty hunters to, how do you put it... stick out, these days," Tseng muses, and I swear he's narrowing those piercing, ebony eyes at Reno, "The guild must recognise your talent. I certainly do."

I cannot breathe.

"So, when do you want us to drop this Leslie Kyle off at Junon?" Reno's voice acts as a cold shower to my psyche.

"That won't be necessary. I've dispatched a courier to Wutai for the transfer. He is bearing your agreed upon fee of three hundred thousand gil. I need the three of you to stay in Wutai for a while longer. There is a case pending approval that I have the Turks in mind for," Tseng elaborates smoothly.

"Quit teasing us, Tseng. Is this another first division jackass? You know we can handle..."

"It will require the highest level of discretion."

Reno looks at me with eyes wide. He mouths comically a phrase I can barely make out as, "Seven digit fee, bayybeeeeh."

"I believe the Turks have proven themselves to be loyal to the guild, and as such I'd..." Tseng's voice trails off. If he wasn't squinting at Reno before, he is definitely squinting past all of us now.

Reno, Rude and I turn simultaneously to the spot where Tseng's gaze is fixated.

"Reno? Where... are we?" slurs a woman, wearing nothing but... _She's not wearing anything!_

"I think we can resume this discussion at another time. Expect Cloud Strife in eight hours for the transfer of Mr Kyle," Tseng cuts the dialogue short and his holo vanishes, leaving us staring into a dark void.

"What the fuck is wrong with you, Reno?" I am screaming, "How did you even pick someone up while we were on the surface? We had, what, twenty minutes of down time? Rude, did you know about this?"

Rude looks away. _He's being shifty._

"You need to stop covering for Reno! That was the worst thing that could have happened on a call with Tseng! That's it! Consider that premier case..." Words are just flying out of my mouth at this point.

"Actually, I picked up two people in twenty minutes. You gotta hand it to me, ya boy's got pull," Reno smirks and waves in the direction of the nude woman and a burly, equally nude, man now standing behind her.

_I hate Reno._


	4. Cheap Seats

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The situation is resolved. The ties that bind Reno and Rude go real deep, and it's becoming a problem for Elena. 
> 
> Cloud is almost here! To dress or no-dress???
> 
> ♪ The Smiths - How Soon is Now? ♪

Firing up the engine of the Marauder, I strap myself into the pilot’s seat. I trust neither Reno nor Rude with the task of escorting our two stowaways back to Wutai, considering their contribution to the debacle with Tseng earlier.

“Do you know where to drop us off?” the woman chimes. She’s wearing a set of my clothes, and they are extremely tight on her. _In all the right places._ I hear Reno’s voice in the back of my mind. I know him too well, and I hate that I can picture the smug look on his face as he tells me to work harder at flexing my feminine wiles.

“Sure,” I respond, eyes fixed on the controls. “Pull the restraints down over your torso. It’s going to be a bumpy ride once we hit atmosphere.”

_I should have ridden with them in the Marauder in the first place, not flown solo in the Interceptor. That’s how these two got on board. I should have known._

“My name’s Lola.”

I look over my left shoulder to see the woman extending her right arm diagonally across the space between us. She is smiling, so I turn my attention back to the controls.

“This is Lance. We met yesterday, the same time we met Reno. Isn’t that hilarious?” the woman continues. Her voice is sing-song, completely devoid of irony.

I look over my right and gesture for the man, ‘so-called’ Lance, to secure himself with the restraints as well. He’s dressed in nothing but a pair of Rude’s boxers. Then, averting my eyes from the two passengers behind me, who are now engaged in frivolous conversation, I signal for Rude to let us out.

We are still in Wutai’s orbit, and it does not take long for me to guide the Marauder down through the planet’s exosphere. 

“Elena, right? How did you get to know Reno? You two seem close. Have you been working together for long? And, what about that guy, what was his name… Rude? You guys have a really interesting way of life, huh?” the woman goes on and on, and the only thing I can think about is how angry I am that just as Tseng was going to let us in on the most valuable gig of our lives, Reno’s libido got in the way and flushed our collective reputations down the waste chute.

The clouds of Wutai’s troposphere swallow the Marauder and all is white beyond the viewing glass. The cabin begins to shake.

“Ohhh, you were right about it being a bumpy ride. Heehee!”

My eyes are trained on the navigation display. We’re gliding over water now. It will be another twenty minutes before we reach land.

“That was my first time in space! I’ve never left Wutai before. I didn’t realise it’d be so cold. But, gosh, isn’t the view gorgeous…”

I look back at the woman, ‘Lola’ apparently, and sigh.

“Sorry. This isn’t personal,” I say, hitting the control to open the cargo door. Air rushes through the cabin, so I pull a pair of goggles over my eyes.

“WHAT THE… WHAT ARE YOU DOING?” the woman shrieks.

“Are you trying to kill us?” the man demands an explanation.

“I’m not trying.” I turn to my left, then my right, putting a bullet straight through each of their temples. _It had to be done. This is what Tseng would want me to do._

I flick the switch to release the restraints, and commence the climb out of Wutai. I hear the bodies roll out of the cargo hold and close the door as the air thins.

* * *

Reno is waiting as I pull into the landing bay.

There’s an apology waiting just beyond that glassy gaze of his, but I’m not ready to listen. Powering down the Marauder, I unbuckle myself from the pilot’s seat and hear a cabin door slide open.

“Hey… ‘Lena…” his voice drops off and stillness replaces the hum of the transport. “You… didn’t have to do that. You could’ve just…”

“Go ahead. Call me heartless,” I thought I was done unpacking all my frustration back in the holo-room, but I clearly was not. “But, know that you did this.”

Reno has no comeback.

I push past him and the splatters of blood on the headrests and aisle.

* * *

The three of us pass the next few hours in near silence.

Back in my quarters, I change out of my suit, and into some training gear. I want to get my mind back on track for whatever job we land next. I assume the worst, that Tseng has passed us over for another bounty-hunting party and that we will have to prove ourselves to him and the guild all over again. _Months, no, years of work wasted._

Tuning out the sound of Reno and Rude bickering like an old married couple in the rec area, I head to the training room.

Three minutes on the jump rope, fifty crunches and thirty press-ups later, I am ready to punch my knuckles raw on a dummy. I bury my face in a towel and down some cold water before starting the next set.

“Need a partner?” Rude checks in, leaning against the entrance to the training room.

“Why not,” I nod, biting my lip.

Rude has changed out of his suit too. He is wearing a grey compression top and black sweat pants, just like I am. Besides our suits, the Turks do not have much of a standard dress code. This is not for a lack of funds, but rather a different set of priorities. Extra gil bought us air, food, alcohol, mako, ammunition and time on a medic’s table if any one of us needed the attention. As such, our wardrobes were utilitarian. 

Rude holds the pads up for me for several reps of crosses, jabs, hooks and uppercuts. Rude and I know this routine well. The training room is our space. In here, he and I are all ears to each other’s highs and lows.

“He’s like Tseng, you know,” Rude lowers the pads and signals for me to take a breather.

“Wh-what?” I ask, panting.

“Reno,” Rude resumes his assessment. “He thinks highly of you.”

I turn and pull off my gloves. I am done with training, and with Rude, for now. “Oh, I know what he thinks of me! He thinks I’m weak. He thinks I don’t know how to handle myself. He thinks he can bend all the rules he wants just because he’s fuckin’ Reno of the Turks, top-tier bounty-hunter blah blah blah.”

“It isn’t like that. Not always,” Rude wipes the pads down and props them against the wall.

“I don’t know how you put up with him, Rude. I know you love him, but he walks all over you. That’s not right,” I am rubbing salt into a gaping wound. Though I hardly get to look into his eyes, I have learned to read Rude’s body language, and it tells me volumes.

“Elena, Reno is… Hmm…”

“Aah… Strife Delivery Service is almost here. Can one of you get Leslie Kyle to the landing bay?” Reno’s static-peppered voice interrupts our little heart to heart.

“We’ll talk later,” Rude squeezes my shoulder before making his way out.

_A promise to talk. That’s rare. Rude, what has he done to you?_

I follow him up to the holding cells.


	5. Overnight Delivery

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Time for some well-deserved R&R, but don't think we've jumped out of the slow cooker and into the barbecue pit just yet! 
> 
> I've been thinking about how violence is somehow easier to write than love scenes. Shouldn't it be the other way around?
> 
> ♪ The Weeknd - Starboy ♪

I may not remember what happened to me before I met Reno and Rude, but I know that I have felt things.

I have experienced joy, sadness, annoyance, loneliness, longing, fear, anticipation, so on and so forth. This, I suppose, means that though I have no memory of my past life, I am sure that I lived it.

There is familiarity in certain situations. I feel a confidence that builds when I'm holding a projectile weapon, I feel relief when I toss back a stiff drink after a long chase, and I feel a sense of satisfaction when I check my account balance and see that it's gone up substantially following a successful run.

However, there is something that I am sure I have never felt before.

The first time I walked in on Reno and Rude was when we were waiting to be granted permission to land on Junon. You would think that Junon, in all its mechanical splendour, would be spared the bureaucracy, but the approval took close to forty-eight hours to come through.

By that time, I had known the two bounty hunters for at least three days. I gathered that Reno had been the one to suggest that I join their motley crew, and that Rude was the one who needed convincing.

"Strength, speed and stealth. She fits right in with the Turks, yo. So what if she came out of nowhere? If you want, we can put her through the wringer with Tseng, make sure she's the real deal. With a third member we can go after bigger game. Aren't you tired of white-collar criminals and shitty small-timers?" Reno's excitement was evident in his tone. Flattering, but without seeing the expression on his face, I did not want to get my hopes up.

"She has a clean slate. She doesn't have to go down the same path we did," Rude retorted calmly.

_Except that I've already killed someone on your ship..._

"What's so wrong with the road we went down? We did some messed up shit, but we're making up for it now, aren't we?" Reno pleaded. There was a softness in his voice that did not match the persona he donned in my presence.

"Reno, I know you miss what the Turks used to be. But-"

"She has no idea what it means to have been part of Shinra! If she goes out there and lets slip to the wrong person at the wrong time that she was found in a fucking Shinra flightsuit, what do you think is going to happen?" Reno's words though harsh were sincere.

"What happened to the others-"

"Was an extermination. I don't know how Tseng managed to slither into Reeve's pants and save our skins, but whatever he did, we gotta'... Shit, I don't know, pay it forward? Fuck, would you listen to me? How pathetic am I? Be honest."

Rude responded by tuning the pilot’s seat towards himself and pulling Reno in so that their foreheads touched. His gloved hands cupped Reno's jaw as he smoothed over the red markings on his partner's cheeks with his thumbs. Shutting his eyes, Reno inched forward and pressed his lips against Rude's.

That was probably my cue to leave, but I could not tear myself away. Curiosity had me glued to the spot, just out of their line of sight, in the dim hallway connecting the cockpit to the armoury.

I observed as Reno moved out of his seat and climbed into Rude's lap. Reno isn't short by any measure, but in that moment he seemed small. His movements were slow, purposeful, not at all what I had expected, and he appeared completely vulnerable.

Rude slid his hands around Reno's waist and they deepened their kiss, with the redhead's hands gripping the back of his partner's neck and head.

I realised it wasn't the first time they had been this intimate. Neither made any attempt to push the other for more than what they were already giving. There was no unresolved sexual tension, no desperate need for release, nothing lewd at all about the way they touched.

Looking at Reno and Rude, I wondered what it felt like to be loved.

* * *

Cloud Strife’s Fenrir is as sleek as the jacket he’s wearing. He steps out onto the landing bay, a stocky man carrying a wooden bat, stabbed over and over again with countless nails that made you question whether the red tinge on them was from rust or something else. The rudimentary weapon was taped at the hilt, showing signs of plenty of usage. I am guessing this guy rarely strikes out.

“First things first, show me the money!” Reno wears a crooked smile and welcomes the courier with arms wide open.

“Put the goods in the hold, then you get paid,” Cloud does not mince his words.

Needing no further clarification, Rude and I hustle Leslie Kyle and a cart full of steel cases onto the Fenrir. As I approach the starship, I allow myself to take in its flawless design. Nowhere near as clunky as the Marauder. Streamlined like the Interceptor, yet powerful enough to see you safely through any warp. _Makes you wonder if you’re in the wrong line of work._

“You guys have got it all twisted,” comes the croaking voice of Leslie Kyle, “I’m just a cog in the machine. You people are nowhere near the top of this pyramid.”

Rude fixes his glasses and seals Mr Kyle in the Fenrir’s cryochamber before we make our exit.

Outside, Reno waves the payment chip at us with a wink and a smile. He grabs hold of the calling card Cloud offers to him, and I hear him read what it says out loud in typical patronizing fashion, “Strife Delivery Service. We’ll deliver almost anything for the right price. So, what don’t you deliver?”

“Pizza,” Cloud says drily, making me laugh.

“Thank you for your service. Maybe we’ll be doing business again soon,” I look Cloud dead in the eye and put on the professional front I’ve been practicing.

“Sheesh, Elena. Can you not?” Reno whines, rolls his eyes and saunters off. Rude is a few paces behind him.

I fill my lungs and breathe out slowly, counting down from ten. Remaining calm is another thing I have been practicing.

“You’re Elena?” Cloud tilts his head while questioning. His blonde brows are furrowed.

“Yes. Why do you ask?”

“I have something for you,” Cloud’s voice is neutral and it’s hard for me to ascertain whether he’s kidding. From inside his jacket, Cloud pulls out a thin metal case and places it in my palm. It’s heavier than it looks.

“Who’s it from?” I blurt out, exposing the fact that I have been caught completely off guard.

“Tseng.”


	6. The Perks of Being a Wallflower

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tseng slips into Elena's DMs. Rude is 100% husband material. Reno turns out not to be a one-dimensional playboy. 
> 
> This is my longest, most boring chapter yet. I do, however, hope it helps lay the foundation for E&R&R's relationship before things get properly interesting. Have I subconsciously turned them into a polyamorous ship? HAVE I???
> 
> ♪ Marvin Gaye - I Heard It Through the Grapevine ♪

I head to my quarters once the Fenrir has left. Squeezing the metal box, my heart races. _Why would Tseng send something to me, and not Reno and Rude?_

"Elena, uh, I was thinking of taking a smaller cut for this last run, yo. You know, for... Yeah, you know. Wanna have a look at the numbers?" Reno sticks his head out of the rec room and I almost crash into him face first. 

"Ah! Not now. Maybe later," I look past him and keep moving. 

" 'Lena..."

"Not now, Reno!" I swat away the metaphorical olive branch he's holding out. _That can wait. This, whatever this is, cannot._

Once in my room, I lock the door. I flip the latch on the small case and out slide three PHS units. I instantly conclude that there's one for each of us and my heart sinks. _Not so special after all..._

Picking one up, I press my thumb on the tiny circle at the base and the screen lights up. 

||| Registered User: Elena of the Turks |||

The PHS glows a faint blue when there is a message to be read or a call coming in. It appears black from every angle except for the one directly in front of the user. I have seen Tseng use one regularly, but hardly anyone else. Maybe Vincent at a guild conference, but I can't be sure. 

[ Hello, Elena. This is Tseng. ]

I read the message five times over and wonder if it's been pre-programmed. 

[ I assume you have yet to give the other two units to your colleagues. There is something I need to ask you before we proceed. ]

_Tseng is really communicating with me!_ Breathlessly, I scramble to reply. 

{ The PHS units are still with me. }

[ What did you do after our last meeting? ]

I freeze. { I returned the stowaways to Wutai. }

I cannot lie to Tseng, but I do not need to furnish him with any details unless he probes. If I made the wrong call, I am about to find out. 

[ Dead, I presume. ] 

{ Yes. I felt I had to prevent the information shared in the last moments of our meeting from being compromised. Trust and discretion are invaluable to the guild. }

[ Indeed, they are. Your methods may not fall within the parameters set by the guild, but you have saved your colleague from an undoubtedly career-ending inquiry. Consider your actions off the record.] 

I sit on my bed and sigh in relief. I do not doubt that I took the right course of action, but that does not mean the guild will back me should Wutai seek recompense for their slain citizens.

[ The Turks may use the PHS for dealing directly with me from here on out. Every message and call is encrypted. Even the guild cannot access these communications. That is all for now. ]

{ Thank you, sir. } I bite down on my lower lip and resist the temptation to add on.

* * *

“Here. These are from Tseng,” I slide Reno and Rude a PHS each and take my seat with them at the table.

“Cloud Strife handed these to you? I thought I was in charge here,” Reno cocks an eyebrow and pouts, spinning his PHS on the surface of the table. _Hah! Take that!_

“Haven’t seen these in a while,” Rude stares at his PHS and its glow reflects in his dark lenses.

“You’ve had them before?” I ask, eyeing both my colleagues wearily.

“A long, long time ago. Shinra days,” Reno replies, “You think this means Tseng wants us on that job he mentioned?”

“Yes, it does.”

“Oh? And, you’ve been talking to him?” Reno leans in and props his cheek against his left fist. A smirk is forming in the left corner of his lip.

“Yes, I have,” I state matter-of-factly.

Reno’s face falls. He has started to prod at his own PHS. I can’t see what he sees, but I can tell from his reaction that there is nothing on it from Tseng. _Who’s in charge now, baby?_

* * *

Rude has an apron on in the rec kitchen, and is frying up some juicy steaks. The aroma is mouth-watering and I cannot wait to sink my teeth into some fresh, non-rehydrated food for the first time in over a week. We have been waiting for instructions to come in from Tseng for several days now. Rude spends his time training or sharpening his culinary skills. I spend my time training or checking our stock of weapons. Reno spends his time napping or talking into one of our ears.

Reno is in the armoury with me, telling me why it is pointless to bet on chocobo racing because the whole thing is rigged. If I intermittently interject with an “Mm-hmm” or “Is that so?” Reno will take it that I am keeping up with his train of thought. This allows me to focus on adjusting the screws on a grappling gun or reloading a few magazines.

“Elena, do you really like Tseng? Or, do you just think he’s hot?” Reno suddenly spits something out I actually have to respond to.

“Where’s this coming from?” I am unnerved by the very personal tilt Reno’s speech has taken.

“Like, there’s a difference, right, between liking someone and wanting to have sex with them. Then, there’s love versus like which is a whole other thing,” Reno says as he is sitting cross-legged on the floor, twirling his electro-mag rod in his hands.

“I’m not sure. I don’t know him well enough. He’s attractive, yes, but I would like to get to know him before, you know, anything happens. I can’t do what you do,” I jibe. _Is this the kind of conversation you’re looking to have, Reno?_

“Ha. Ha,” Reno strikes back, “At least I’m not wallowing the way you are. I, unlike you, know how to have a good time.”

“Do you want me to respond with a ‘Hey! I know how to have a good time!’ and proceed to get drunk and have sex with some random I’ve picked up? Because I’m not going to. See, I don’t feel the need to prove anything to you,” I look up from my work and smile at Reno.

His expression is completely blank.

  
  
“Was just curious, ‘Lena. No need to drop the mic on me, kay?” Reno sighs as he gets up and heads to the rec room, ruffling my hair as he passes. “When’s dinner? I’m starvin’!”

Reno wears many masks. He changes them by the minute and I sometimes try, and fail, to figure out which one he likes wearing the most. I get the feeling that for a split-second there, he might not have been wearing one at all.

* * *

Soon after we had docked on Junon, Rude set off with the body bag, probably to collect payment. Before he left, he gave me another set of clothes to wear. They were bigger than the last, but almost identical in make. I had to wonder how many more white shirts I’d be drenching in blood in the near future.

Reno was to take me somewhere to get registered as a citizen, then to the bounty hunters’ guild to get an identification chip, something he affectionately termed “your licence to kill”. I rode behind him on a speeder-bike through the busy streets of Junon’s western harbour, taking in as many of the sights and sounds as I could.

Though every avenue and alley seemed packed, there appeared to be order in this steel city. Patrons formed lines outside restaurants and shops, pedestrians yielded to officials requesting for proof of identification without delay, speeder traffic flowed and ceased in tandem with the changing of signals. Even Reno was towing the line.

“When we get to the office, we’re gonna get stopped over and over again, and they’re gonna ask you a bunch of questions. Let me do the talking,” Reno advised me when we reached a tower block surrounded by rings of smaller buildings. He pulled at a thin metal chain around his neck and fished a small rectangular card out of his shirt. On the card was a tiny picture of Reno, some numbers, more numbers and a silver square embedded in the bottom right corner.

Then, Reno turned to me and placed his hands on my shoulders. Reflexively, I tensed up. He leaned his head back slightly and narrowed his eyes.

“Okay, you look cute enough. They only give you one shot at this damn picture. It’s brutal,” Reno explained, barely holding the card up long enough for me to catch his trademark features. _What’s wrong with your picture?_

With the speeder-bike parked some distance away, we walked towards the tower block. People in suits and various military fatigues shuffled in and out of the lobby, making it a constant hive of activity.

“Reno! Back so soon?” a girl behind the counter remarked as we approached. Her shoulder length hair was thick and topped off with blunt bangs that floated just over her eyebrows. _Canaan, Kyrie. Junior Administrator._ I made it a point to take note of everyone we met that day.

“Yo! Got promoted, I see. No more coffee runs for Ms. Canaan,” Reno quipped, leaning over the counter and winking at Kyrie’s co-worker, who immediately flushed pink.

“What can I do you for today, Reno? Guild code violations? In for questioning? Turning yourself in? Are you someone’s baby-daddy now? Filing child support?” Kyrie casually spouted off, demonstrating her familiarity with Red and his extracurriculars. 

“How do you know about stuff like that? Aren’t you twelve? No, to all. I’m here to help a friend. Refugee from ol’Midgar, needs papers. We need to see Tseng as well,” Reno nodded in my direction.

“Where’s your… Oh, hi! Didn’t see you there!” Kyrie’s surprise was less surprising to me than it would have been had I not watched the way passers-by locked onto Reno as we moved through the city, completely ignoring me. “The adjudicator isn’t in today, but I’ll put you down for tomorrow, ten in the morning, because you’re special. As for citizenship papers, you can head to level thirty-five.”

Glass doors to our left slid open with the press of a button and Kyrie waved us off as we headed to the elevators. Reno said that we would get stopped repeatedly, and I wondered if that talk with Kyrie would go towards the final tally. 

Riding up to the thirty-fifth floor took only seconds. Reno and I got off and were greeted by a sea of desks, processors and drones.

“Welcome to the Bureau of Citizenship Registration. I am Chadley. Welcome, Mr Reno. How may I help you and your guest today?” a young boy with white-blond hair and crystal clear blue eyes stood up from his seated position with perfect posture. Unlike the others, Chadley’s desk was completely empty.

“Registering a refugee. No documentation, no history, but I can vouch for her,” Reno said. With Chadley, his voice lacked the playful twist I had begun to recognize.

Then, the boy stared straight at me, unblinking for a good minute before resuming with a smile, “Marle at desk twenty-nine will assist you with the paperwork. Have a pleasant day, Mr Reno and guest.”

“So, Chadley’s noticed me, but besides him no one’s really stopped us to chat yet,” I pointed out to Reno as we were allowed through several rows of desks.

“You might be even better at this stealth thing than I thought. Chadley doesn’t count,” Reno told me as he tucked his hands into his pockets and strode past desk after desk. “Nothing gets past him. He gives me the creeps. Sometimes I wonder if he’s a real boy.”

I looked back at Chadley, who had returned to sitting at his desk, staring straight at the closed elevator doors, and felt a chill run through me.

* * *

With a full belly and energy sufficiently expended, I return to my room. Tomorrow will be another day of waiting for something or anything from Tseng. The three of us were most definitely looking at a serious case of cabin fever if we had to spend any more time aimlessly orbiting Wutai.

I look over my belongings lined up neatly on a shelf by the door. There’s some makeup, my gun, a few magazines, a picture of the three of us at a bar (there’s a tie on my head, and I have one arm around Reno’s neck and the other around Rude’s) and my citizenship papers. I am reminded of that day on Junon, of how Reno had patiently gone through page after page of paperwork with me without a hint of annoyance, and nudged me every time someone didn’t acknowledge my presence, as if I should take their failure to detect me as a compliment.

A knock on my door prompts me to get out of my head. I open it and Rude is standing at the threshold.

“May I come in?” Rude asks.

“Of course,” I head over to the bed and sit down, patting the spot next to me.

“That talk we were having…”

“Here to follow up? Took you long enough,” I catch Rude mid-sentence, and he nods. Linking my arm around his, I lean my head on his shoulder as he settles onto my bed.

“About Reno,” Rude begins.


	7. Strangers with Candy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the most Rude will ever talk. E&R&R get a new case and it's not looking good. We head to Sector Six in a bit for some familiar faces and worn out places. 
> 
> I've changed the tags again because this story is out of control!
> 
> Elena and Rude's private talk looks like this to me: https://youtu.be/lDetXuXJz_0
> 
> ♪ M89 feat. Susie Q - In My Mind ♪

"He is the way he is because he's afraid."

Rude's words puzzle me. Reno cannot possibly be afraid. I have seen him charge into literal burning buildings, and come within half an inch of his life just to pad his wallet. 

"We lost a lot of people with the downfall of Shinra. They were people we spent every waking moment with, dying too. When you came into the picture, he knew exactly what you would become to him, and he's been terrified ever since. You are one of us, Elena. You're a Turk. That's why he keeps going back and forth between keeping you close and pushing you away. You're important, so he's conflicted," Rude's sombre tone belies the ridiculous notion he's trying to peddle. 

"Hah! And you know this because he told you?" I poke Rude in the rib, trying to eke out the punch line he's bound to be holding back. 

"He talks to me about you a lot. Just like how you talk to me about him. Some of it is my own conjecture, but I think I know my partner well enough to accurately explain his motives to his victims," Rude lets out a rare chuckle. 

I release Rude's arm from my grasp and straighten my back. Pulling his shades down, I ask, "If Reno talks to you about me, and I talk to you about him, who do you talk to about us?" 

"I don't need to discuss my feelings for you or Reno with anyone, or either of you, because I am sure of them. I know exactly how I feel and I'm not ashamed," Rude's mahogany eyes bore into my soul with each word. I quickly push his glasses back over his eyes. _He wears those to keep people from falling in love with him, I swear._

"You two have been through a lot, huh. You would die for him, wouldn't you?" I am holding on to Rude's hand now, feeling the lines that stretch across his palm. 

"Yes," Rude smiles, "and I know he would for me." 

"So, he's not all that bad." 

"Essentially harmless." 

"Wouldn't hurt a fly." 

"Wouldn't hurt you. Well, not intentionally." 

"That's why he hurts himself." 

"Bingo."

* * *

The air in the holo-room is perfectly still. We have each received information on the new case from Tseng, and Reno tells me that this time we may have bitten off more than we can chew. 

"You're saying that other guild hires failed to get this guy, but that doesn't mean we can't manage, right? You two know this target, so it shouldn't be that bad, should it?" I am studying the case files Tseng has sent to our PHS and mulling over how a scientist could have gotten away from some of the best and burliest bounty hunters Gaia has to offer. 

"Elena, have you ever heard of the Jenova Project? It was one of Shinra's biggest mistakes," Rude finally chimes in. 

I react with a blank stare. 

"If you have, you'd know why we're not exactly thrilled with this new case," Reno decides that I need help getting up to speed and takes over from where Rude has left off. "The target, Hojo, is a sick fuck, yo. He was ordered to help tighten Shinra's grip on the galaxy, and he took that as a light suggestion. He wanted and probably still wants to have the whole universe in the palm of his hand, and he has no qualms about violating any rule of law or natural process to achieve that." 

"Hmm," I shiver a little and continue pouring over past mission reports on Hojo.

"He spliced alien DNA with human. He used his own child as a test subject while it was still in the womb. Turned regular people into monsters that feed on rotting human flesh. Forced female subjects into his gross breeding program through rape. Drugged the water of an entire planet to see what kind of effect it would have. Stole the dead from their families for spare parts... Want to know what the worst part is?" Reno pauses, and I can see the answer in his eyes.

"Did you help him?" I clench my fists and wait for the truth to rear its ugly head. 

"Yes," Rude's the one to rip off the band-aid. 

"They got the Turks to supply the bodies, living and dead. Not all the time, but often enough," Reno gets up and moves over to me. "Elena, this is the worst possible case Tseng could have assigned us, and he sure as fuck knows it." 

* * *

Sector Six is a massive outpost nestled in Gaia’s largest asteroid field, former Midgar. Its neon lights can be spotted the moment you come out of warp. To most, they seem to scream, “Buy your next servicing here! Available in all shapes, sizes and sexes!”

Getting ready to enter Sector Six is nothing short of an ordeal. Reno is the most active of the three of us, but hates the idea of paying for it, Rude is our resident family man, and I cannot recall the last time I messed around with anyone or anything. T-minus twenty, and we're still busy coming up with our personas for this first step towards finding Hojo.

“If that drug Leslie Kyle was trying to profit off really is from Hojo, then we’ll get the next lead here, no question,” I run through the plan with Reno and Rude as they suit up, or in this case, strip down.

Reno has covered his facial markings with makeup and is sporting fishnets and the tightest latex dress I have ever seen. He adds on a turquoise wig as a means of toning his usual look down. My eye twitches rapidly as I watch him primp himself in the mirror.

“Like what you see?” Reno leans back and blows me a kiss.

“I’m just going to say it. Reno, you have never looked more beautiful. I mean it,” I really mean it.

“Your turn, babydoll,” Reno glides past me in an outrageous pair of stilettos and picks out a disguise for me. “Wall Market is probably the one place you would stand out looking the way you usually do.”

I know exactly what he means. _Good girls don’t last, or live, long in Sector Six._

I undress and put on an outfit similar to Reno’s, though I fill the dress out a little more in the bust and a lot more in the rear. My wig is a short pink bob, and with some platform heels, I think I am ready.

“How do I loo-”

Reno shoves me up against the wall and his lips crash into mine. His hands are squeezing the sides of my face, and I can feel his tongue teasing my mouth open. The next thing I feel is his thigh grinding into my crotch. I don’t hate.

All of a sudden he lets go, and I remain stuck to the wall for a few seconds before I recover my senses.

“Did you tuck?” I knit my brows and stare at Reno’s very flat groin, recalling the lack of a bulge as he thrust his hip into mine for an instant, just moments ago.

“I take my craft very seriously,” Reno smiles through smudged red lipstick. He pulls me towards him and turns me around so that we’re both facing our reflection. “Now you’ll fit in.”

My lips are smeared red, and my face is quickly turning the same shade.

“Are we ready?” Rude enters the locker room. He’s wearing black leather suspenders with leather pants, no shirt required.

“Sweet Shiva, can’t we just stay onboard? We look so hot! I could eat both of you up right now,” Reno whines.

_Go ahead._

_Wait, no._

_What the fuck._

_Elena, what the fuck are you thinking?_

I lift my hand and graze my bottom lip with my fingers. I cannot breathe.


	8. They Came Together

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Elena catches feels and has terrible timing. Cloud makes his return. 
> 
> This was not an easy chapter to write, but I do appreciate how my muse, Paul Rudd, continues to bless us with his work. Before I start on a new chapter, I look through Paul Rudd's filmography and pick out a title that makes even the slightest sense. I am deadly serious. This is my writing process and I'm sticking with it.
> 
> ♪ Depeche Mode - It's No Good ♪

A few things I always do while entering a new environment include checking for the exits, naming every person in my vicinity and flagging objects that can serve as makeshift weapons. 

Today, I am doing none of those things. Instead, I am staring at the back of a turquoise wig wondering where it all went wrong. 

"Let's split up here. Whoever finds the main supplier should try to get in close. Remember, we're not exactly here to kill, yo. We're just here to hurt real, real bad," Reno's orders nearly fly over my head, but I mentally slap myself just in time to catch them all. 

Reno turns into an alley off to the left, and Rude to the right, so I command the forward position. I am walking into the heart of Sector Six, Wall Market, looking for someone who could potentially lead us to the catch of the century. This is no time to deal with the fact that my heart is racing for all the wrong reasons. 

The overwhelming stench of piss, sex and alcohol mixes with other forms of unidentifiable intoxicants as I pass block after block of unsavoury establishments. Each touts a different range of services, from blindfolded fetish play to seemingly innocuous hand massages. _One really has to find their niche, I guess._

Out of an ornate, wooden building with papered-over windows, walks someone I instantly recognise. He looks a little different from when I last saw him. He has changed his hairstyle somewhat, but the top is still distinctively spiky. I am pleased to see that Nail Bat is also in attendance. _Oh... That's it…_

"I like your dress, Cloud Strife," I approach the courier from behind, stopping just beyond swinging distance. 

"Do I know you?" Strife frowns in indifference. 

"Yes! I just saw you last week!" I know I am not the easiest to spot in a crowd, but to think I had wasted my time trying to leave some semblance of an impression on this delivery man! 

"Oh. Are you one of the Turks? You changed your hair so," Strife tilts his head to show he is actually trying to jog his memory. 

"Oh, yea! I'm wearing a disgu- What are you doing in Wall Market?" I am so flustered that I effectively give up the game. _Elena, what the hell!_ Desperate to recover from my shambles, I attempt to redirect the line of questioning, "Delivery work not paying the bills?" 

"I'm here to fight, not sell... stuff," the courier clarifies, pointing to an imposing, crimson building with gold leaf dragons carved into its doors. “It’s a hobby of mine… I’ve said too much…” 

I grab Cloud’s arm before he passes through the doors. Might as well make the best of a bungled situation.

“You seem to know this place well. I’ll pay you for anything you can tell me. Anything useful,” I hate to sound like I’m begging, but since he already knows who I am, I decide to go all in on this bet.

“Hmm… What are you looking for?” Cloud takes the bait.

“I’m looking for the supplier of a drug called ‘Eden’. Not a dealer. I want the source for all of it on Sector Six,” I am not sure if my gamble will pay off, and a painful lump forms in my throat.

“I’m not totally sure, but there are dealers of all sorts in the spectator stands of the Colosseum. They tend not to stray too far from the hive, so you’re most likely to pick up a scent from hanging around there,” Cloud shares what he can. I can see in his face that that’s all he can offer me. He is no trickster. There is a naivety in the way he blinks that tells me he’s younger than he looks.

“Thank you. Will 1000 gil settle that for you?” I raise my palm for him to pass me his payment portal. He hands it to me, scratching the back of his head like he now has a question.

“Do you guys always have this much money on you?” Cloud stares at the cobblestone ground as I make the transfer.

“Uh, yeah, kind of,” I say, handing the portal back to him.

“Must be nice. Being a bounty-hunter,” Cloud comments coldly.

“It’s nice when there isn’t anyone shooting at you,” I wave at Cloud and enter the colosseum. A look back tells me that the next stage of my mission will play out with Cloud’s match as the backdrop. He disappears down an elevator while I climb up a flight of gaudy stairs to the spectator stand.

* * *

“Welcome to the Wall Market Colosseum, where every night the toughest competitors in the cosmos compete for glory! Will they have the guts to make it all the way to the end? We shall see! Let the fight begin!”

The roar of the crowd is deafening. I squeeze past security with ease and scan the area for the spot with the best view. I dodge buckets of money and betting tokens as I find a seat higher up than the last. I am almost at the top when I spot Rude all the way across the arena. He taps the frame of his glasses twice to signal that he has seen me. _I’m on the right track._

“Cloud Strife! This Dangerous Delivery Man is Dressed to Dominate, if you know what I mean!” the commentator’s voice booms over the speakers and the place goes wild with cheering and cat calls. _Not bad, Cloud, Not bad at all._

My eyes land on a dealer. Standing in the shadow of a pillar, he’s shoving a suspicious pouch into his back pocket as two happy buyers stroll away with something that will either make or break their night.

“Got anything for a girl like me, handsome?” I pull the man’s stubbly chin towards my face using the tips of my fingers, making sure the contact is light and brief. I breathe a little heavier, and leave my mouth open just enough for him to see me gently biting the tip of my tongue. His pupils dilate and smile lines deepen. _Dirty older men are the easiest._

“What kind of fun are you looking to have, sweetheart?” the dealer growls into my neck, and he slips his arm around my waist. _Ugh, gross._

“I’m thinking you might be able to… take me to paradise,” I whisper into his ear. I am praying that the password Leslie Kyle gave up is authentic.

“Right this way,” the slimy dealer pulls me closer and drags me over to a concealed door that’s opened in the wall behind the pillar. I have lost sight of Rude, but I am sure he’s seen what I’ve done and is maintaining a safe distance.

“How much are you willing to give up, beautiful?” the dealer shuts the door and pulls his jacket off. He is going for his belt next. _No, thanks._

“Oh, anything you want. But,” I lean against a wall and put my heel up to his crotch, “can you get me enough of what I want? I can take a lot, you know.”

“A girl with ambition. My favourite,” he’s licking his lips now and my skin just crawls.

“Fuck me up. I want as much as this entire fucking town has to offer. I don’t mind sharing, or being shared,” I hiss and press harder against the dealer’s bulge. _I am going to need a strong ass drink when I meet up with Reno and Rude later._

“Alright. Alright. Alright,” the man backs away and picks his jacket up from the grimy floor. “Come with me. Let me introduce you to some of my mates. I think they’ll like you very much. You’ll get what you came for, babydoll.”

_Babydoll. Reno… Shit. Not now._

Bending down, the man opens a hatch in the floor, revealing a ladder to the street. He lowers himself and beckons me to follow. He’s directly under me when I hear him say, “You’re a bad one, aren’t 'cha? I can see you’re already wet.”

_FUCK._ I am done with this.

Dropping to the street, I crouch to retrieve the switchblade that I’ve hidden in my shoe. With a swipe of my leg, I knock the dealer off his feet and he falls back into a puddle of filth.

“WHA-”

I’ve covered his mouth and pinned him to the asphalt before he can utter another word.

“Take me to the one who supplies this whole shitshow with Eden,” I command. The fool cannot see from where he’s lying but I have my blade positioned right under his balls. I nick the fabric separating his family jewels from cold steel to make sure that he understands the terms of this arrangement. “And, no screaming.”

I rise to my feet and position myself directly behind the man, holding my weapon just between his thighs. He’s practically crying, and blood is trickling down the back of his scalp.

“Move,” I do not stutter.

* * *

Rude joins me in the alleyway and I can finally get my hands off the oily scumbag.

“You alright?” Rude asks, twisting the man’s arm into an absurdly uncomfortable position.

“Yes. Just… disgusted,” I wretch audibly.

We let the dealer guide us through a cluster of shops, far off the beaten path. There isn’t a soul in sight when he stops at a green door.

“Here… The guy you wanna talk to about Eden. He…He’s through this d-door,” the dealer mutters between tears. “Please, let me go. Pl-please. I have a family.”

“We’ll let you run once we know you’ve given us the right guy,” Rude calmly asserts. The dealer can only nod and comply.

“Let me scope it out,” I lift a hand to Rude and step towards the door, tucking my switchblade away.

“Be careful,” Rude warns. I give him a nod and head in.

* * *

“Oops! Heehee! Oh my gosh, I am so sorry!” I squeak and stumble through the door. Staggering around, I take in the layout of the building. There is no one on the first level. I immediately retire the confused-drunk facade. Broken tables and chairs are scattered through the room. Bottles behind the bar counter have been smashed to bits and there’s a thick layer of dust covering everything. It’s dark, but I see light coming from the second floor.

A crashing sound tears through the air, and I see a body flying into the wooden bannister on the second floor. It’s electrified blue.

“No more bullshit, you fuckin- Oh, hey, ‘Lena!” Reno shouts. He emerges from a room on the second floor, dragging a limp human form with one hand and swinging his activated EMR with the other. He’s lost his turquoise wig, but rouge is still sitting in smudged perfection on his lips. _Pretty as always, Reno._

“Find anything?” I call out.

“Yurp! I think our work here is done! Drinks on me!” Reno declares, his toothy grin is infectious and I smile back.

Then, I hear a bang.

Reno yells out, and a bolt of blue shoots out through the body of the man at his feet.

Now, Reno is leaning against the wall. Reno’s right hand is clutching his abdomen. Reno looks at me, and his eyelids slide shut. With a thud, Reno is on the floor. _This isn't happening._

“Reno!”


	9. On the Edge

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A surprising saviour makes her entrance. Elena gets a glimpse into what it means to be ordinary, and has to deal with a variety of fears. 
> 
> Star Wars physics dictates that, regardless of size, all planets/land forms have the same gravitational pull and atmosphere fit for sustaining life (unless otherwise stated)! Don't @ me! I'm no scientist! 
> 
> Some might be wondering why Don Corneo did not appear in Sector Six. To put it simply, that character disgusts me to no end. I absolutely cannot bring myself to allow him to hang around my imagination as I think about what might happen next. YUCK. 
> 
> Please send some love to this artist (Twitter: @rei_reikarameru) whose Elena is such an inspiration: https://karameruderei.tumblr.com/post/173679011941/reireikarameru
> 
> ♪ The Beatles - Blackbird ♪

I am praying to gods and ancients, demons and saints. I am praying to any higher power that might deign to listen. I am praying as I sit on a broken pew, in a ruined church, with blood on my hands. In particular, I am praying to the angel framed in stained glass, whose one wing casts a dark shadow in a circle otherwise filled with a kaleidoscope of color.

The floorboards creak and I look up to see Cloud Strife. He is emerging from the wooden double doors beyond a clearing of yellow flowers basking in the light that’s streaming in from a massive hole in the church’s roof.

“What’s happening back there?” I ask, digging my nails into the palms of my hands.

“The doctor’s working on him. There’s no exit wound. He’s lost a lot of blood. Stopping the bleeding is the first priority. No vital organs hit, which is good, I think,” Cloud reports flatly.

I clutch my head in my hands and stare at the rotting wood beneath my feet.

* * *

It was out of sheer luck that I ran into Cloud again when I had bolted into the main street of Wall Market. The Turks have a shortlist of regularly relied-on medical professionals who will scrub up at a moment’s notice, but none were close enough when destiny decided to deal Reno the worst injury of his life.

“I know someone who can help, but…”

“IT WILL COST US! YES. WHATEVER. GET US THERE!” I roared, snatching Cloud by the straps of his dress.

“O-OK! You guys have a transport? I can guide you there,” Cloud raised both hands in a combination of surrender and acknowledgement.

We ran to the Marauder which was camouflaged against a heap of scrap metal at the far end of Sector Six. Rude followed closely behind, carrying Reno who was limp as a rag-doll, and out cold.

Cloud punched in the coordinates for the largest asteroid in Former Midgar, Edge. It wasn’t far off from Sector Six, thank Shiva. 

* * *

“Elena,” Rude’s hand lands on my right shoulder, prompting me to turn and see that he’s cleaned himself up and put on a suit. “I packed a change of clothes for you in the Marauder before we left. Take a break. I’ll keep watch.”

The colors from the windows have disappeared and the yellow flowers have taken on a cooler tone. The sky is darkening. _How long have we been here?_

Reluctantly, I get up and head out to the Marauder. Rude has left the cargo door open for me, and a few local children are looking in, eyes sparkling with curiosity, none daring to take that big step forward to investigate. They must have heard the gravel move under my feet because, all of a sudden, they whip around to look at me and scatter to the wind.

Inside the Marauder, I can see that Rude has tried his best to clear the carnage. The pool of blood that formed where Reno had lain has been mopped up, and Rude’s outfit from the early hours of the morning is now neatly folded and tucked away. On the pilot’s seat, Rude has left me a crisp, white shirt and black slacks. There, he has missed a spot. My bloodied handprints are all over the steering.

I wipe myself down with a damp towel. I would kill for a shower, but this is no time to be pining for luxuries.

Once properly attired, I head for the church. The sky has gone completely dark, and the settlements down the road are emitting a warm, welcoming glow. The lights have me mesmerized. I can make out the shapes of people heading home to their families, or to a bar to unwind with friends. The faint echoes of music and laughter bring the scene to life, and I can visualize myself seamlessly slipping into the safety of life on the other side. I force myself to turn my back to it.

* * *

“Rude? Elena?” a feminine voice calls out, and the two of us snap to attention. A slender woman with luscious walnut locks opens the double doors and waves us in. This is Doctor Aerith Gainsborough, a friend of Cloud’s, and maybe now a friend of ours too. 

I look to Rude to take the lead. _I’m scared. I can’t. I don’t want to see him like this._

With a deep breath, he does. _“We have to,” I feel him say._

We pass the yellow flowers and step through the doorway.

The back of the church is nothing like the front. It has a fully equipped operating theatre with an adjoining recovery ward. Every surface appears pristine, and I breathe a little easier knowing that I do not have to murder the blonde delivery man.

“He’s stable now. I had to do some damage control on his internal organs, but he should make it out just fine barring some scar tissue formation,” Dr. Gainsborough delivers the prognosis as we reach Reno’s bedside. “I’ve given him four units of blood. He’ll need to stay here for a few days to get his strength back. You two are welcome to hang around.”

Reno’s eyes are closed. There’s an oxygen mask over his face, but I can see some pink returning to his cheeks. He’s connected to some tubes and monitors which give off a soft but persistent beep.

“Oh! Sorry, I couldn’t save his lovely dress. Had to cut that thing right off. I also undid his tuck. You’ll be glad to know it’s not the first time I’ve had to do something like that! Haha!” Dr. Gainsborough’s girlish voice sends all sorts of imagery streaking through my mind.

“Thank you for saving him,” Rude nods to Dr. Gainsborough and moves to take a closer look at his partner. I hang back. _Rude needs this time more than I do._

“Dr. Gainsborough, we are indebted to you. How can we repay you for this service?” I ask, following the doctor to the other end of the ward.

“Please, Elena, call me Aerith. We’re fully funded, so you don’t have to pay a single gil! Injured pilots, couriers, miners, ninjas, chocobo racers, all are welcome here. Our sponsor makes sure we have the latest medical technology available, so we’ve never needed to charge for our services, which is a big help since most Edge residents can’t afford complex procedures and treatments,” Dr. Gainsborough smiles as she guides me through her workplace. There are a few other patients admitted, but they are mostly elderly locals.

I cannot help but be confused about the shabby exterior. _With sufficient funding, why not fix up the church? It looks like it’s going to cave in at any second._ “How long have you been running this place, Aerith?”  
  


“Hmm… I’ve been living in this neighborhood since I was a kid, since before Midgar was destroyed. It’s a miracle how most of Edge survived. This church has always been a part of the community, so when the opportunity arose to turn it into something that might serve others, I had to jump on it. We’ve been doing this for about four years now. I have several nurses and pharmacists coming in on rotation. We’re a big family,” Aerith’s love for her work is palpable as she continues to gush about the facility.

“Is there anywhere we can get food around here? Anywhere good that is. I’m thinking Rude deserves to have a decent meal after all that’s happened, and Reno when he wakes up,” I look back at Rude who has pulled a chair up to sit by Reno.

“My girlfriend runs a bar in town! She makes a mean cocktail or… a dozen, and serves food there too. I can get her to bring some by in a bit! It’s my treat, so I don’t want to hear about compensation and other nonsense like that!” Aerith grabs both my hands and is practically cheering at her own idea. _She is so nice, it’s frightening._

“Thank you, Aerith, but we really can’t-”

“I can’t hear yoooooou!” Aerith releases my hands from her grasp and turns on her heel. She practically skips away to the her comm station. _I am terrified of this woman. But, I am grateful._


	10. Ideal Home

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Elena and Rude make friends with a power couple, and the Turks fall down the rabbit hole of wanting things they can’t have. Does Tseng have the power to perform inception on Elena?
> 
> Headcanon: Tifa and Aerith have strong Korasami vibes. (A:TLAB and TLoK fans, do you feel me???)
> 
> Introducing/Clarifying some terminology:  
> Year x ADM – Number of Years After the Destruction of Midgar  
> PHS – Party Handling System (like in the game)  
> the guild – A mysterious (ooooooh!) organization that is sanctioned by Reeve Tuesti (role still unclear) and run by Tseng. At this point in the story, Elena knows of only a handful of bounty hunters registered with the guild; they include Reno, Rude, Vincent and a few more lower ranking members.  
> Former Midgar – A massive asteroid field left behind after the planet Midgar was destroyed. Some fragments such as Edge are large enough to be habitable, while others are mere specs of dust. 
> 
> Coronavirus 2020 Notice: From here on out, I suspect updates will be fewer and further between. School/Work/Life has resumed since we’ve come out of lockdown on this side of the world, which means less writing time, and more werkwerkwerk. I will strive to post a new chapter at least once a month with enough content to sustain your (and my own) interest, hopefully! 
> 
> Thank you to anyone who has stuck around till Chapter 10! One doth not deserve such magnanimity!
> 
> ♪ Harry Styles - Adore You ♪

Reno and I exited the elevator at the 59th floor. It was both the quietest and emptiest place I had been to on Junon since we landed a day prior. Even at ten in the morning, the dark marble flooring and window blinds made it look like we had stepped back into night. 

"Good morning! Welcome to the guild office, Mr Reno and Ms Elena. Are you here for a ten o'clock appointment with the adjudicator?" There, Chadley was again, a sweet, smiling, prepubescent boy standing between us and some presumably intimidating people. _Who thought getting a child to mind the entrance of an organization managing licensed killers was a good idea? They need to know this is not a good idea._

"He in?" Reno peered past the boy, down at the double doors at the end of a long walkway. 

"The adjudicator gave me explicit instructions," Chadley said, "to keep you in the waiting area for as long as is necessary for you to learn the importance of punctuality, Mr Reno. Ms Elena may proceed." 

"It's ten! The appointment was set for ten and we're here! Tseng, this is bullshit!" Reno yelled at Chadley, then at a security camera in the corner, then back at Chadley who was smiling. “Fuck it. Lena, you go ahead.”

_Lena. Are we friendly now? What should I call you? Reno, Ren-y? Rude, Rude-y?_

“The adjudicator would like me to remind you of several past appointments you have been late for or missed altogether. 11.30am, Day 245, Year 1 ADM, late by 21 minutes. 2pm, Day 13, Year 2 ADM, appointment missed. 1pm, Day 67, Year 2 ADM, late by 1 hour and 3 minutes..." 

Reno groaned and slumped over a leather sofa. 

"... missed. 9.30am, Day 50, Year 3 A..." 

The bounty hunter acted like a petulant child, fidgeting on the cushions and toying with the lock of hair that grew out the back of his head. 

"... Day 89, Year..." 

"Wow, Reno. Do better," I smirked and gave Chadley a mock salute as I moved towards the office behind the double doors. I decided to keep most of my amusement to myself. It was nice seeing the cocky redhead squirm. The adjudicator sounded like my kind of guy.

* * *

Dark flowing locks and impossible curves are not the only weapons in Tifa Lockhart’s arsenal. The woman can also stop time. When she walks into the ward, she hits us with a smile so earnest and tender that I can almost hear my heart beat in my ears.

“Wow,” Rude is next to me. I have never seen him react this way to anyone before, not even Reno. His jaw is slack and his breathing has halted. In a fraction of a second, I have learned more about my friend than I have in the last few months.

“Heard you guys were hungry,” the stunning brunette lifts a carrier of food in one hand and dangles a bucket of ice and chilled drinks with another. “I’m Tifa, Aerith’s girl. You must be Rude, and you must be… Elena!”

“Yea... Yes! Thank you for stopping by with food. Aerith told us…”

“That you are not to fork out even a fraction of a gil! C’mon, let’s eat. There’s a break area in the back,” Tifa nudges me towards the exit, her smooth forearm brushing against mine. Rude clears his throat and follows us out.

The sky is a deep purple and speckled with a few visible stars. In the church’s backyard is a modest garden with more yellow flowers. A wooden picnic bench sits at its centre, under a large tree draped in dainty string-lights. Rude and Tifa are laying out the packed food, drinks and cutlery. Both of them are bathed in an amber gleam. Tifa must have said something incredible, that I have somehow missed, because Rude is smiling.

_This is the life you want, isn’t it, Rude?_

I feel something fracture in my chest, and suddenly I am jolted by an anger I did not anticipate. _What about me? What about Reno? What about us, Rude?_

“Isn’t Tifa the best?” Aerith’s voice placates me as she slips a cool hand around my arm, pulling me towards the picnic table. “Reno’s sedatives should wear off in a few hours. We’ve taken very good care of him, so it’s time for us to take care of you!”

I am so embarrassed. Literal angels are watching over us, and all I can feel is spite.

At Aerith’s insistence, I begin to eat. I sink my teeth into warm bread and take several swigs of beer. Maybe there’s something in the air on Edge, but everything tastes delicious. Rude is sitting next to me, silently polishing off a plate of roasted vegetables. I see that his shoulders are relaxed, and that that smile from before hasn’t yet begun to fade.

“Who’s running the bar tonight, Ti? Don’t tell me…” Aerith asks, eyes round and wide.

“The boys have got it covered! Cloud owes me big time. You know how many favours that guy’s called in. Vincent too,” Tifa replies. A faint flush is painted across her cheeks, increasing her charm exponentially. _I know someone named ‘Vincent’._

“What got you into bartending?” Rude dabs a napkin to his lips and shoots Tifa a surprising question. _Who are you, and what have you done with my best friend?_

“Well, my dad had a bar on Nibelheim. I didn’t come to Midgar with plans to set one up, but things seemed to just fall into place. Like it was meant to be, in a way? I’ve always wanted to have a place where all the people I care about could gather, relax, feel safe. And, somehow the drinks everywhere I went when I arrived were… yikes. So, there was certainly demand for a decent watering hole! Haha,” Tifa replies and downs the rest of her beer. A sideways glance at Aerith paired with a smile reveals that their history is long and shared. Rude is captivated by this, and his smile appears even broader than before.

“How did you two become a thing?” I cut in before Rude can follow up. I also kick him under the table for good measure.

“Ooh, you know, girl meets boy, girl likes boy, boy starts dating this other girl…” Tifa begins.

“Then other girl breaks up with boy, because he really isn’t ready for a relationship with anyone. Then, boy dates girl, and they break up once girl realises the same thing other girl has. Then…” Aerith picks up.

“Then, girl and other girl hang out a lot, develop feelings for each other, come to see each other as partners for life, and here we are!” Tifa trills while intertwining her fingers with Aerith’s. _Which of you is which? Nevermind, I don’t really care._

“That’s wonderful. I’m glad you two found each other,” Rude adds, raising his bottle in an apparent toast.

“And, we’re glad you three found us! That’s what Cloud does best, really - bring people together,” Tifa raises a freshly opened bottle to meet Rude’s. _I now know who ‘boy’ is._

* * *

I must have gripped the arm rest of the seat so hard that I left nail marks in the leather. I had been alone with Reno, and with Rude, and with a health official who literally searched every cavity of my body when I registered several floors below the previous day, but nothing compared to the weight of being stared down by this man.

My heart beat in my ears, and the scratching of pen nib against paper set my teeth on edge. The passing of each second took longer than the last. I was frozen.

“Tell me, Elena. Who are you?” a low voice crept over from the other side of a formidable office desk. The voice belonged to the adjudicator, Tseng. His long black hair was slicked back into a precise half-pony tail, and his features seemed to rest in satisfying symmetry on his clean face.  
  
“I’m not sure how to explain this. The first memory I have is of waking up in a small craft, and drifting through space for several days. Then, meeting Reno and Rude. They picked me up and recommended that I come here, to Junon,” words started rolling off the tip of my tongue like they had done several times before, but this time things were different. Instead of absentmindedly typing out my story, Tseng seemed to drink everything in while paying the fullest attention. It made me shiver.

“Did you know how to pilot the craft you were on? Send out a distress signal?” Tseng probed, touching a gloved finger to his lip.

“Yes, but it was out of mako. I tried to send out messages, but its comm-link was damaged,” I went on, “I checked the log too. There was nothing stored on its server, no pilot’s history.”

“How did you feel while you were out there alone?” Tseng leaned back in his seat, leaving his hands resting on the surface of the desk.

“Confused? Annoyed? I don't know. I guess, determined to stay alive,” My eyes darted around as if the right answer could be found somewhere in the space separating Tseng and myself.

“I see. Did you think it might have been a dream?” Tseng invited me to respond by lifting his left hand slightly and getting to his feet. As he rose to full height, I chewed the inside of my cheek. _Please, don’t come any closer._

“I… I didn’t think it was a dream. No, it… wasn’t a dream…” I stammered. _Please, don’t come any closer._

Tseng stepped around the desk, over to where I was seated. Lifting his right index finger to his mouth, he bit the tip of his glove and pulled it off in one smooth motion, revealing the milky white skin of his bare hand. Grabbing my left wrist, Tseng knelt down in front of me, and every word I had been struggling to string together became untethered.

"Elena, do you know how to tell a dream from reality?" 

“I… I’m not… I don’t know…”

“Dreams are strange, Elena. Isn’t it strange how you survived for days on that ship, floating through open space, low on mako, and air and water? Dreams also have no beginning,” Tseng pressed his fingers into my wrist as his eyes bored into me. “How did you get on that ship in the first place, Elena?”

“What are you trying to say? That I made all this up? Or, that I’m dreaming right now? I’m telling you the truth!” I wanted to pull away, but he held on to me tight. _Please, stop saying my name._

Then, Tseng let go. He returned to his seat, far from me, behind the desk. I must have been be sweating because the room had gotten unbearably hot.

“You may let Reno in,” Tseng spoke into some communication device on his desk, and I drew some more air in to steady myself.

_Tseng, the adjudicator, is the most dangerous man in the universe._

* * *

Tifa and Aerith are heading to Tifa’s bar, Seventh Heaven, accompanied by Rude who has volunteered to carry the empty serve ware back as a means of saying thank you. It’s my turn to sit by Reno.

Most of the overhead lighting in the ward has been turned off to allow the patients to get some shut-eye. There’s a lamp by each bed, left at its dimmest setting. I am still reeling from the dinner conversation. I am not sure if I have ever sat at a table with another female before, let alone two gorgeous specimens who seemed genuinely interested in my well-being. _Do they know what we do? They seem to be cool with almost everything, but…_

“Lena…”

“You’re awake! Hey, take it easy,” I leap to my feet and place my hands on Reno’s shoulders, preventing him from getting up. “You’re hurt, but you’re going to be alright. Just lie down.”

“Lena… You looked… scared shitless,” Reno’s speech is slurred from the sedative.

“I was. You got shot, we thought we were going to lose you,” I press my palm to Reno’s forehead and feel a thin layer of sweat on his skin.

“I… cockroach, yo,” Reno resists the lethargy. “Hard… no, impossible to kill. Hah!”

“Yes, yes. You will outlive us all,” I sigh, grabbing a towel from the side table to dry his brow.

“Eleeeeena, I’m sorry.”

“Huh? What are you talking about, man?” I’m dabbing the sweat from his face when he grabs hold of my wrist.

“I think… I read you… wrong. Did I?” Reno closes his eyes and mutters. I am confused.

“Uh… Whatever it is, I’m sure we can sort it out later, when you’re better,” I tell my wounded friend and attempt to pry his fingers off my wrist.

“I thought you wanted me… to kiss you. So, I… did,” Reno is squeezing my wrist, refusing to let go.

“You,” I whisper, and a heat enters my chest. “You didn’t read me wrong.”


	11. Nightcap

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Elena wants to get the Turks up and running again as soon as possible, but Reno has other concerns. The recent past comes creeping back in bits and pieces, and Elena admits she has not been totally honest with her best friends, and herself. 
> 
> I must say, I am not pleased with this chapter in the slightest! In fact, I hate it, and have had it sitting on my desktop for at least two weeks. But I need to get this show on the road damn it! I want to get this Hojo plot moving, but I might have hit a block. We'll see where this week takes us. 
> 
> By the way, I have no beta, so comments and criticism are more than welcome!
> 
>   
> ♪ Massive Attack - Angel ♪

“Cool,” Reno is smiling, eyes still closed. “Does this mean we’re gonna fuck sometime?”

“You are a pile of shit,” I get up to leave, yanking my wrist free from his grasp. “Bye.”

“Leeeeena, I’m kiiiiidding. Come back come back come back cooooome back,” Reno waves a limp hand at me. The tubes attached to his wrist flap with each movement, reminding me that he is in no position to follow through with any other lewd suggestions he might want to make.

I sit down by Reno’s bedside, and pull out my PHS. If he is lucid enough to mess with me, he is lucid enough to dish out intel.

“What did you find out on Sector Six?” I set my PHS to auto-transcribe and begin recording.

“…”

“Reno?” I look up from the screen, thinking that he’s fallen asleep. Instead, I see him staring down at the foot of the bed. His blue eyes are dark and his breath still.

“The dealers get Eden delivered to them free of charge. They hardly know where the shipments come from, but they told me the source always changes. The effects are mild, some hallucinating, feeling floaty, light, some people who take it say it makes everything smell, taste, sound, even feel better. Amazing sex. But, one in every ten-thousand or so pills is made different,” Reno reports, then comes to a pause, eyes still fixed to the same spot around his feet.

“Different, how?”

“It’s... The dealers pick up any unlucky junkies who happen to be sold the hard stuff and put them on a transport that swings by. The transport appears at random, and they pick up maybe five or six people at a time. Easiest work those shits have ever done, apparently. Eden sells so damn well, seems so harmless, and no one’s caught on to the fact that people have been going missing all over the fucking galaxy…”

“Okay. So, Hojo is probably sending out Eden to collect new test subjects, using a system of third parties to mask his location. The other guild hires followed the drug trail up till this point, then got stuck…” I ramble off some ideas and squint at Reno. _You aren’t telling me something. “_ Did you get anything that can take us further?”

“Yea, I think so, but like… let’s wait for Rude to get here, yea?” Reno finally looks me in the eye. He’s back to holding my wrist, “I did promise you drinks. And, you need one.”

“Sure,” I thumb at my PHS until the screen goes black.

“Trust me,” Reno’s hand is warm around my wrist. Something about the control in his voice tells me that I would be a fool not to.

* * *

Strobe lights. Neon. Smoke. In a matter of hours, we had gone from the dullest office to the most ostentatious venue possible. The bass of club music blaring over the speakers was so loud you practically had to sidle all the way up to someone’s ear and yell at the top of your lungs for them to hear you. That was probably the point.

“See anyone you like, partner?” Reno purred, leaning against his brawnier companion who seemed to be looking off into the distance, through his dark glasses, in a dark room.

“Are you two in an open relationship or something?” I was tipsy, having had a few shots of whatever Reno had ordered when we got to the booth, and feeling bold. The question had been nagging at me since I saw them making out. “I saw you making out! So, what’s the deal?”

“Hmm,” Rude raised an eyebrow at me as he lifted his tumbler to his lips.

“I will always love this beautiful man. But!” Reno slid over to my side and hooked an arm around my neck before continuing, “But! But! There are literally trillions of very attractive people out there whom I have yet to sleep with. So. Go forth and copulate, as they say!”

“Who says that? No one says that!” I could hear myself screaming, but I wasn’t sure if Reno had heard me at all, because his eyes seemed to be chasing a tall, burgundy-haired woman around the dance floor.

Without warning, Reno had straddled me. I threw my hands up in confusion and began pushing him away. “Wh-Get-Hey! Your crotch is in my face! Ew!”

“Don’t get your hopes up, Lena. Just trying to get past you here!” Reno was off me in a second, and walking away from our booth, towards the dance floor.

I scanned the table for any unfinished drinks. The meeting with Tseng had me shaken, and I was compelled to drown out the most complicated feeling of unease mixed with arousal as quickly as I could. There was about half a finger of liquor left in Rude’s tumbler, but as I went for it, he slid it out of my reach and gulped it down.

“Tsch’! Gonna get more,” I announced, slamming my palms down on the table harder than I had intended. Before I could take a single step closer to the bar, Rude motioned for me to stay put and got up in my stead. “I’d like something fizzy and strong. Thank you.”

_Dreams also have no beginning. Do you know how to tell a dream from reality? Dreams are strange, Elena. Elena…_

“Elena,” Tseng’s voice in the back of my mind morphed into Rude’s very tangible presence. He placed a tall glass of water in front of me. “Finish this. Then, you may consider having something fizzy and strong.”

“Say ‘fizzy’ again. Haha. You sound funny… Yea, good point,” I conceded.

“Did you find anything out about yourself yesterday, or this morning?” Rude made himself comfortable next to me and got to work on a fresh drink while watching the dance floor with mild interest. _Reno doesn’t care, I don’t think I do, so why do you?_

“Uh, we didn’t really go looking. I think it’s for the best. What if I don’t like what I find? I think I’m alright with being nobody,” I swirled the glass and watched the last droplet of water trace the bottom of the inner wall.

“You are somebody, Elena,” Rude said, turning to me, and I catch the corner of the white of his eye. “I respect your decision, but if you ever change your mind, I’d be happy to help.”

I nodded. _Elena has a friend in this universe, maybe two. This is a decent start._

“I suppose I did learn a few things. You two worked for this Shinra organization, which ran a planet called Midgar and a few others like this one we’re on. Were opposed by a group called Avalanche for some reason. Then big fight, Avalanche blows up Midgar, Shinra is dead. Avalanche is in charge now, but not really, because every planet gets to be in charge of itself. You guys are out of a job. Tseng, also from Shinra way back when, gets all friendly with some Avalanche people and offers you guys this gig. Bounty, bounty, bounty, hunt, hunt, hunt, you guys bump into me. You think I’m from Shinra too, and here we are. Am I riiiight?” I tossed the little bits and pieces of information I had gathered over the course of spending time with the boys together and hoped they made as much sense as my wasted brain would allow.

“Almost. Avalanche didn’t blow up Midgar. Shinra did,” Rude corrected.

“Ohhh, gotcha gotcha. That’s why we’re not telling people we’re from Shinra. Shhhh! Shhhhhh! Keep your voice down. Hahaha… May I have another drink now?” I mimicked Reno’s purr, pointing at the empty glass under my chin.

Suddenly, there was a gorgeous woman sitting where Rude had been. I thought that perhaps my bald friend had morphed into this beautiful nymph with lustrous red-brown locks, held up in a high pony tail, and dark lashes that framed warm, brown eyes. But, I was wrong. She was the furthest thing from Rude.

“Hey there,” she leaned across the table to inspect my face. “I could just eat you up. Blondes are my favourite, you know.”

_Is everyone in this universe hot? Maybe I really am dreaming! For fuck’s –_

“Elena, this is Jessie. Former terrorist, now interplanetary peace keeper. She makes stuff go boom,” Reno had returned to the booth, and forced me to inch closer to the newest addition to the hololog of faces I had started to compile in my head.

“Reno wants to sell me some parts, but he’s real, real shady, so I don’t quite believe he’s got the stuff,” Jessie quipped, winking. “But, you, I can believe!”

“Uh,” I looked to Reno for any hints as to what I was supposed to say. He just shrugged. “Yea, he’s got… the parts?”

“Deal! I’ll swing by the big ol’ Turk HQ tomorrow morning. Dock oh-seven? Three hundred gil,” Jessie got up and did a little pirouette. _This woman knows what works for her._ “Bye, cutie.”

I felt the tip of her index finger lightly tap my nose bridge before she vanished amongst the mass of dancers.

“Everyone is so good looking! This Jessie! Tseng from this morning. Shit, I am so fucked. The adjudicator, Tseng. He almost killed me, like, he got right up in my face like THIS!” I groaned and stared at Reno as if he might be able to explain it all away.

“I think you’ve had enough to drink, yo,” Reno answered and pulled away. Unknowingly, I had grabbed the sides of his face and yanked him so close that I could feel his breath on my lips.

Sitting upright, I declared to anyone within earshot, “I am good. Rude is getting me my last one. We are all good here. Tseng though. He’s bad. He’s really bad. So so bad.”

* * *

It is hard to say precisely how far I have ever strayed from my own morals. I still haven't formed even the vaguest picture of my life before Reno and Rude, but I know that Elena does not simply hook up. _And, I still don't._ But a few weeks into being a Turk, I did something very out of character. _Why am I remembering this now? Now, of all times?_

On Costa del Sol, I had walked into Reno's room while Rude was away and asked him to help me forget about Tseng using any means necessary. Reno, naturally, obliged. After that, my constant bickering with the redhead began. I can remember the exact words that were exchanged as I lay naked next to him, and the look on his face right before he burst out laughing and tossed me out of his room. 

"Sure, I can act like this never happened! I can do that. Oh, and I promise I'll keep this a secret from Rude! Why don't you promise to let me know when you finally have Tseng's dick all the way up your ass! My sincerest apologies for not being able to fuck your brains out!" Reno had pushed me out into the hall and sealed the door to his quarters before I could get another word in.

Rude returned from his trip a few hours later, and Reno kept up his end of the bargain.

_I didn't mean for it to turn out like that._ Sitting next to Reno as he slept, post-lifesaving-operation, hand still firmly holding on to mine, I wish I could go back and make things right. In my exhaustion I must have forgotten to suppress the memory of what I had done. _I had used him. I had hurt him. Though, not intentionally._

Now, I see what Rude sees. The fear, the constant push and pull, an endless nagging conflict.

_So this is love._


	12. The Fundamentals of Caring

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Elena wants to come clean to Rude. But Reno's been holding on to more secrets than either Elena or Rude could have anticipated. Shinra's past is a haunting one, and some ghosts can latch on for a long time. 
> 
> We take a look at the Turks from a different perspective in this chapter! I wanted to explore a slightly different writing style, so I hope no one minds the shift and my jumping around in time (as usual). It's a hot mess, I know.
> 
> ♪ Billie Holiday - Fine and Mellow ♪

Gaia is certainly a small galaxy. As it turns out, Aerith and Tifa’s Vincent is of the bounty hunting variety, and is precisely the one we Turks are most familiar with. The tall, dark man stalks through the entrance to the ward behind Rude, looking like death and the beginnings of decomposition in his trademark tattered red trench coat. He isn’t hideous by any means – in fact he could be considered objectively attractive if his skin didn’t have a ghostly blue hue to it. I respect him. I just also find him extremely creepy.

“What are you three doing here?” Vincent can be chatty once you’ve fought alongside him once or twice.

“Business. Didn’t Rude tell you? Oh yea, course not. Hi, Vinnie, I am well, and how are you doing? You’re looking healthy as always,” Reno quips, sitting upright on his bed and drinking from a sippy cup.

“Hey, Vincent,” I smile as much as I can, which isn’t much. “Is this where you hang out in your down time?”

“Yes,” Vincent replies, “Tifa is an old ally. And, Aerith, I’ve known since she was a child, practically watched her grow up.”

_How old are you? You don’t look a day older than Rude._

“You’re looking for Hojo, I assume?” Vincent probes uncharacteristically.

I cast Reno and Rude quick looks, but not subtly enough for them to go undetected by Vincent. He never misses anything.

“Don’t worry, Elena. You don’t have to answer that question,” Vincent shoots me a look of reassurance over the collar of his trench coat. “Whatever it is, I hope you succeed.”

“Thank you. Appreciate it,” I say.

Frankly, there isn’t much for me to be appreciative of until Vincent reaches into his coat and pulls out a small item, a stack of browned paper bound in leather. Paper has become one of Gaia’s rarer commodities. I’ve only ever seen it used on Junon, in the administration divisions and the guild, and the paper there was stark white.

“This might help, but you didn’t get it from me,” Vincent places it on Reno’s side table before turning to leave.

“What is it?” Reno asks.

“Records from someone who worked with Hojo a long time ago,” Vincent nods at Rude and departs, leaving us to decode his last words.

“Okay, so that’s it for this interview with a vampire! Come here, Rude!” Reno nearly squeals while beckoning Rude in for a hug, arms open wide. I step aside and let Rude take my place by Reno’s side. I grab a stool from a stack in a corner and position myself at the foot of the bed.

“How are you feeling?” Rude asks, peeling himself away from Reno’s embrace.

“High. Good doctor’s given me the good stuff. But I know where we are, I know how many fingers and toes I have, I know this is water I’m drinking, not vodka, because Elena is a goddamn liar and cheat,” Reno squints at me, then pouts while clutching Rude’s muscular arm for dear life.

“I’m not giving you alcohol while you’re recovering, you idiot.”

“You’ll be out of here in no time. Aerith is a very talented surgeon,” Rude shares in relief.

“Yea, everyone here is fucking amazing. The doctor, Vincent, Tifa,” I wink at Rude, and Reno catches it.

“Who the fuck is Tifa? Rude! Partner! Who’s Tifa?” Reno’s childish expression has turned to one of major concern.

Rude is blushing, and he adjusts his sunglasses via its center piece over the bridge of his nose. That’s Rude’s only tell.

“Aerith’s really hot girlfriend. Yea, she almost got me too. How do I put it… hmm. Face of an angel, body like dynamite!” I joke, brushing my hair aside.

“She seems like a lovely person too,” Rude adds.

“LOVELY?!” Reno releases Rude and his expression has changed to one of betrayal. I cannot help but laugh.

I am loving this moment. It feels like we’re sitting in the rec area at Turk HQ, throwing back some drinks and counting our earnings after a satisfying hunt, with nothing else to worry about except the next adventure. I wish it could stay like this forever. But, it can’t.

“Hey, I want to talk to you boys about something,” I interject.

“Oh? Right now? Hmm, I guess it could be a while before we get some proper drinks so. Elena, do you want me to…” I feel like Reno has read my mind, and is trying to save me the embarrassment, but my pride gets in the way and stops him short.

“No, Reno. I need to be the one to say this.”

“Uh… okay? You go ahead and say what you have to say,” Reno shrugs and scratches the back of his head. Rude is looking at us, brows knitted, signaling his mild confusion.

“Rude, a while back, while we were on Costa del Sol, and you went to visit your family…”

“Oh shit, Elena, I didn’t know you were going to talk about THAT,” Reno looks shocked, and now I am just as taken aback.

“What were you going to talk about? Oh, you thought…”

“Yo, I thought you wanted to talk about the Hojo intel I got, not like… ah, shit,” Reno leans back and stares at the ceiling.

“What’s going on?” Rude finally speaks.

_Of course, Elena, you dumbass. You never discussed this with Reno. Do you think you and Reno are somehow telepathically linked? Your timing is the worst!_

“I think what Elena wants to share is toootally different from what I was thinking of. Too late now. Ok, go for it, Lena. I am ready,” Reno sighs and closes his eyes.

Gently placing my hand on Rude’s broad shoulder, I state plainly, “I slept with Reno. Rather, I asked him to sleep with me. Then, I told him to keep it a secret from you.”

“…”

“OK, my turn!” Reno opens his eyes and jerks upright.

“…”

“So, Hojo intel. I found out some stuff, but first I need to come clean about something,” Reno rubs his palms together and takes in a deep breath. “Elena, I know who you are. And, to be honest, I’ve always known.”

“Alright, Reno’s news is worse. Elena, you’re off the hook,” Rude pats my hand that’s been resting on his shoulder for over a minute now.

I feel completely numb. _Reno’s news is infinitely worse than what I imagined._

* * *

The Shinra Company, in all its power, was not infallible. Regardless of how benevolent it tried to appear, and numbers it claimed to have salvaged, those who knew the truth about the foundation upon which the dynasty was built knew to sleep with one eye open and to carry a big gun or two. 

The rise of Shinra came with the destruction of billions of years of human history and civilization.

Centuries before the colonization of Gaia, when humans were bound to a single planet, Shinra was a small establishment that did research and development on space travel. Their goal wasn’t the Moon, or Ganymede, or even Pluto. They wanted to go further, much further. Their time came when the founder of Shinra and his team found a way to harness mako energy. It was sold to the people as an infinite source that came at little cost to the universe. That was true depending on how one looked at it. The universe was vast, after all. Mako was a culmination of energy from the very planet humans had been living on, her neighbouring planets, and the entire star system she existed in.

To Shinra, the benefits outweighed the risks. Destroy a few doomed planets, and live forever in a galaxy far, far away, forever and ever. Humans will be indebted for all eternity to their saviour – Shinra.

They built ships, generators, batteries, engines, packed animals, crops, minerals, everything humans would need to start over. They told people that the Sun had run its course earlier than expected, and moved half the population to a galaxy shamelessly named “New Gaia”.

Shinra’s proprietary technology harnessed the energy from a total of five dwarf planets, two hundred moons, eight planets and one sun, and repackaged it as a limitless, yet expensive energy source. One which humans have still failed to quit.

The Turks were formed when cracks began to appear in the glass that separated the Shinra family and company elite from the masses. Whispers of brainwashing, inhumane experimentation and the truth behind Shinra’s façade of generosity and pacifism fueled a rebellion that would come to be known as Avalanche. Avalanche knew the wrongs of Shinra’s past could never be righted, so they wanted justice. They also wanted freedom, as most civilian militias do.

The Turks were tasked with protecting Shinra’s interests. Made up of elite military academy graduates, ace pilots and marksmen, prodigious strategists and self-sacrificing bodyguards who doubled up as hitmen, the Turks were loyal to Shinra until the death of President Shinra’s only son Rufus, along with more than two thirds of Midgar, the designated center of government in the Gaia Galaxy.

Avalanche didn’t even have to lift a finger. The empire crumbled from within. Absolute power corrupts, and proof of that lay in the decades-long rivalry between two of Shinra’s highest ranking officials. Disgruntled, and thirsty for dominance, they raced to reveal Shinra’s darkest secret by means of demonstration. That was how Midgar was lost, and another thousand years of mako energy added to the pool.

And, for what?

* * *

**1.43am, Day 65, Year 6 ADM**

Stars streaked past, surrounding Turk HQ in a kaleidoscope of brilliant colour.

Reno sat in the cockpit, checking and double checking the coordinates Tseng had sent them. Tseng had always worked in mysterious ways, but since stepping down as director of the Turks, he somehow became even more of a conundrum to the default leader. Reno didn’t like being in charge, especially when he knew he really wasn’t. Tseng was still pulling the strings, and it was getting on Reno’s nerves.

“-the fuck does Tseng want us to come out of warp so far from Junon for. Waste of time, if you ask me,” Reno whined, leaning back in the pilot’s seat.

“No one asked,” Rude replied.

“Very funny, partner,” Reno snorted. “So, with this last trip to Mideel we’ve cleared all of Cissy’s belongings and funds, right? How many more to go?”

“Cissy’s orphanage will benefit from what she left behind. She made plenty… while she was with us,” Rude scanned the ship’s log, hitting a button to archive the file on their former teammate, Cissnei.

About half of their ranks were confirmed to have been killed in action the day Midgar bit the dust. Cissnei and a few others had gone missing in action. Reno and Rude had always hesitated to declare her dead, but after years of futile searching, they had no choice but to pull the plug on her case.

“The Legend shot at us, so I think we can strike him off the list,” Rude ran down the ledger of Turks whose affairs he and his partner had yet to settle. It was a task the surviving Turks had taken upon themselves, as a sort of tour of penance, on top of their bounty hunting obligations.

“Yuuuuup,” Reno yawned.

“There’s Emma,” Rude’s voice went quiet.

“Her whole family was on Midgar, right? We’ve checked every other refugee outpost and camp. That’s been a pain in the ass. Tseng has a better chance than we do, but unfortunately, the adjuuuudicator doesn’t give two shits about what we’re doing. We should archive her, partner.”

“You’re right. It’s been a long time. Too long,” Rude moved another file into the archives, sighing.

“We’re almost there. Wanna take us out of warp?”

Rude nodded and took over the controls.

Coming out of warp took skill. It wasn’t that Reno couldn’t handle it, but more that he knew tasks like these always took Rude’s mind off things that dug deep and hurt hard.

Streaks of light blurred, then sharpened into view, taking the forms of specs of light in the distance. Artificial gravity would give out for a second or two when ships came out of warp, and the feeling of one’s organs floating and sinking back down was exhilarating to some yet awful to others. Reno, for one, enjoyed the bizarre sensation like he did amusement park rides on Gold Saucer.

“What’s a tiny training pod doing way out here?” Reno leaned forward and peered at the grey craft that floated into his line of sight.

“It’s Shinra made,” Rude noticed.

“Fuck this shit, Tseng. Is this what we’re out here for?”

“Should we bring it in?”

“Probably. Like, make it look like an accident or something,” Reno suggested flippantly, waving a careless hand around.

Without warning, Rude hit the accelerator and propelled their ship forward, making it knock into the much smaller craft with enough force to nearly crack it open.

“WOAH! Yo, mind explaining yourself, partner? We almost squished that thing!” Reno yelled, flinging his arms up in frustration.

“Must have slipped,” Rude pulled a lever to raise the blast shield. Time to make contact.

“Tseng gave us a girl! What the hell is this guy’s game? What is she doing in a … oh great, she’s a real piece of work. Well, fu-u-uck you too, small fry!” Reno wanted to return the gesture the girl had given them, but the pod was already being dragged out of sight and into the landing dock.

“What do we do?” Rude asked, reminding Reno that he was technically the one calling the shots.

“Shit, I don’t know. Play it cool. We’ll try to find out more from her. I’m going to punch Tseng in his perfectly symmetrical face the next time I see him.”

* * *

**5.25am, Day 65, Year 6 ADM**

Reno watched as Elena deftly flipped a man almost twice her size over her petite frame and fracture his skull, effectively killing him in less than five seconds. Reno was filled with both shock and awe.

“Sorry. Did you need him alive?” Elena asked, looking down at a small pile of bloodied clothes.

“Do you need a job?” Reno grinned. His mind racing with the possibilities.

“You answer first.” Reno had to think fast because Elena seemed to know exactly what she was doing. Unusual for someone with amnesia.

“Not really. Dead or alive. Your turn,” was the response he decided on.

“How much does it pay?”

“Lots,” _Please bite, Reno begged internally._

“Sounds like it could be a good deal. Can I get another set of clothes?”

“Yea…” After Reno had given Elena a fresh set of sweats and seen her off to the actual showers, he bolted back up to the cockpit. 

Rude was off inspecting Elena’s pod in the landing bay, so this was the only time Reno could go snooping on his own. Reno had a hunch, and was fairly sure his partner was not ready to hear the theory he had been pulling together. He might never be, but Reno had to know then and there. The answer to the question they’d been asking themselves for the past four hours was within reach.

Pulling up the archives, Reno opened Emma’s file.

DESIGNATION: EMMA

WEAPON: GUN

HOME PLANET: MIDGAR

FAMILY: FATHER (NAME/IMAGE REDACTED), MOTHER (NAME/IMAGE REDACTED), SISTER (NAME/IMAGE REDACTED)

STATUS: M.I.A.

“-long hair, blonde, like me. Brown eyes. She’s little, but strong. Please make sure she gets on the transport, Reno. Please-” Reno replayed Emma’s final transmission to Turk HQ. _This isn’t enough, I need more,_ Reno shut off the holoviewer and changed course.

Up another level, he entered a hallway he hadn’t visited in a long time. Lights flickered on as he passed each sensor, passed each empty room, passed memories of friends made and lost. Reaching the third to last door, Reno stopped.

The air inside Emma’s old quarters was stale. Reno and Rude had made a pact to never enter their fallen comrades’ personal spaces unless it was to gather up their belongings to pass on to their next of kin when they were located, if they were located.

A pair of Rude’s old sunglasses sat on her desk. Her bed linens were neatly folded, her flight suit pressed and ready to go at the sound of an alarm. Books lined a small shelf by the door, and next to them a small picture of Emma posed next to three people.

Reno picked the picture up, holding it close to his face in the dim light. Emma was in her formal Turk-suit. Sharp and sleek, a consummate professional. Next to her stood an older man, dressed in equally dignified fatigues, a lady with impressively quaffed hair, and a young girl with pale blonde hair done up in pony tails.

Turning the flimsy sheet over, Reno read the inscription:

_Elena’s 16 th birthday and my first day working for Shinra. Wish me luck. _

“What the fuck are you up to, Tseng,” Reno left the picture where he’d found it and sealed Emma’s room.

Reno slid to the floor and remained in the hall, motionless to the point that the lights shut off one by one till he was engulfed by the darkness. He needed time to think.

Maybe having Elena join the Turks wasn’t such a good idea.


	13. Year One

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Detective Reno on the scene. Don't get your hopes up. He's no Sherlock.
> 
> I had plans for this to go up in September, but life got in the way. I've indulged in more overt Star Wars references in this chapter for anyone who can spot them (from a mile away). Also, a nod here and there to John Wick, another franchise I am a slave to! I've planned out the next two entries and have my fingers crossed for both of them to come out before Halloween. Tell me I'm aiming too high, someone! 
> 
> I should keep a log of all the fanworks that have inspired this fic, for there are many!
> 
> Proof of Bebop x Turks. This is genius.: https://nico.ms/sm13451405 
> 
> ♪ Kate Bush - Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God) ♪

**8.40am, Day 66, Year 6 ADM**

"So what if she came out of nowhere?" Reno had flipped medallions, drawn playing cards and spun his EMR around in circles in private trying to let destiny decide his next move. He was no Tseng. He reacted, he didn’t plot. But this situation called for Reno to actually stop and ask himself, “What would Tseng do?”

"She has a clean slate. She doesn't have to go down the same path we did," Rude’s voice came over the gentle drone of the engine. He might as well have taken a knife and driven it right through Reno’s chest.

"What's so wrong with the road we went down? We did some messed up shit, but we're making up for it now, aren't we?" Reno pleaded. _Do you resent me for introducing you to the Turks? Do you hate me like your brothers do? Like your mother did?_ Reno didn’t tear up often, but when he did, there was no point in trying to hide it. With Rude, and Rude alone, Reno was forced to bare it all.

The pair had done this dance so many times they’d lost count, and each time was more painful than the last. Telling people to move on, get over it and dust themselves off, was a habit of Reno’s. Laid-back and hedonistic was the mask he wore most often to face a post-Shinra galaxy, but Rude knew better. Behind closed doors, he knew Reno was still holding on to every wisp that connected him to their past.

Listening to Reno was like listening to a man bargaining with Death, and offering himself up as collateral for lives he deemed more valuable than his own. Rude wanted to remind his partner that he never regretted becoming a Turk, and that he was most proud of that last mission they had carried out for Rufus, because it proved that somehow, in spite of all the blood on their hands, their hearts were still in the right place. They weren’t monsters.

“… How pathetic am I? Be honest," Reno had meant to keep their discussion centred on their little castaway, but when the floodgates opened, he drowned in the deluge.

Rude was a man of few words, while Reno was one of too many. They found a common language in physical touch, so that was were Rude chose to go. Rude might have taken them further if he hadn’t noticed Elena eavesdropping from the darkness.

Caressing Reno’s ears, he nudged his partner to pull away. _You care, and I love that about you,_ Rude closed his eyes and held Reno tight, resting his bald head on that familiar clavicle.

The fading clicks of Elena’s boots against metal grating cued Reno to rise to his feet.

“Elena’s a Turk, yo. Trust me on this. I can’t explain it right now. But, you’ll see,” Reno placed a hand on his partner’s broard chest and looked to the hallway Elena had disappeared down.

* * *

**4.43 pm, Day 68, Year 6 ADM**

The last time Reno had compiled a dossier on someone, that person ended up in a crate. Hopefully, this time would be different. Before docking on Junon, he had considered sharing the intel he’d been gathering on the newbie with his partner. But every time he saw Rude putting together gear for Elena, showing her around Turk HQ, smiling at her as if she were an old friend, he held his tongue.

Now, a blonde head was resting on his shoulder. Elena was breathing softly, her mouth slightly open and hands limp in her lap. She seemed to have been holding it together so well the past few days, Reno had started to wonder if she was human at all. If not for the fact that the cut on her lip had started to scab over, he would have pursued the theory that she was a replicant or remnant or cyborg or something along those lines.

The two of them had ploughed through a mountain of paperwork in the process of getting her registered. Bureaucracy always did Reno’s head in, and it must have done Elena’s because she was knocked out cold. Waiting to be called for a medical promised to take up the rest of Junon’s daylight hours, so in the reception area they sat. To pass the time, Reno ran mental laps around the little bits and pieces of Elena’s existence he’d collected.

_Sister. Survivor. Amnesiac. Cadet. Killer. Rival. Liar._ Somehow that last one, a most recent addition, seemed to fit better than any other box Reno tried to put Elena in. For someone with no recollection of her past, Elena came armed with skills that clearly set her apart from regular civilians.

Reno had noticed her counting the exits and subtly scrutinising the faces of everyone they came across since entering the massive administrative building. He’d noticed that she stood always to the side of him, slightly behind his frame, hidden in the blind spot of anyone he spoke to, and cast her gaze around the room, fists clenched and knees slightly bent, yet constantly listening. She walked with one arm swinging and the other slightly crooked and still. _Her shooting arm._

What bothered Reno the most about Elena was the fact that she seemed to go along with any plan he had suggested. She had agreed to join the Turks in a heartbeat, she hadn’t probed him or Rude about their identities, and now she was asleep on his shoulder, sitting on a bench in what might be a completely new and dangerous place for her. Elena’s apparent, or feigned, trust in Reno unsettled him.

A soft ping drew Reno to a screen. Seeing their number appear, he nudged his charge awake.

“… turn for medical?” Elena stirred and wiped the drool from the side of her mouth. Her hair was bunched up on the side she had pressed against Reno’s deltoid.

“Yup. Enjoy,” Reno leaned back in the bench and waved at Elena as she followed a medical officer down a different lift. Looking at his sleeve, he spotted the tiny patch of drool she’d left behind.

* * *

**10.02 am, Day 69, Year 6 ADM**

On the 59th floor, Reno watched as Elena disappeared beyond the double doors at the end of the dark marble walkway, waiting to hear the click of the latch before spinning into an upright position on the leather sofa.

“... 2pm, Day 25, Year 4 ADM...”

“She’s inside, Chadley. What does my man Tseng have for me, eh?” Reno asked, keeping his eyes on the doors in case Elena, ‘Lena’, came bursting out of them all of a sudden.

Chadley was immediately silenced, and he reached out to deliver a small holoplate into the bounty hunter’s palm. It glowed to life upon contacting his skin, revealing the interior of Tseng’s office. Elena had just taken a seat in front of that comically large desk Reno was convinced Tseng used to hide his involuntary erections. He was being fed in real time.

_Always knew you were a kinky son of a bitch._ Reno smirked.

“So, Elena, is it?” Tseng commanded attention as always.

“Yes?” Elena answered. She looked directly at him, barely blinking.

“Reno and Rude would like you to join their operation. Of course, I need to assess your suitability for the profession. Are you comfortable with the nature of the position you’re being recommended for?”

“Yes. Based on what I’ve seen, and what Reno has told me, I think I can handle myself.” _There’s that trust again._

“Hmm.” Tseng kept his eyes on the papers in front of him. Passing over convenient tech in favour of traditional media was another thing Reno did not understand about his former director.

“Tell me, Elena. Who are you?”

_Oh shit. Here it is._ Reno leaned in.

Elena’s story was as accurate as it needed to be. Reno had told her that Tseng was someone she could speak openly with, someone who wouldn’t put a piece of lead through her skull for having links to Shinra. But, the way she related it was, somehow, different. With each probing question Tseng fired her way, the slight tremor in her voice intensified. _She’s doubting herself._

When Tseng crossed the desk and knelt in front of Elena, her delicate wrist in his grasp, Reno held his breath. _This is where the curtain falls._

“What are you trying to say? That I made all this up? Or, that I’m dreaming right now? I’m telling you the truth!” Elena’s shaking voice shocked even Chadley, who had turned from his statuesque position by the elevator to watch the holofeed in Reno’s hands.

“You may let Reno in.” _Sweet Shiva!_ Reno had been effectively startled by the calm of Tseng’s voice interrupting Elena’s panicked breaths.

“Mr Reno, the Adjudicator will see you now,” the boy announced.

“I knoooow,” Reno stood and tossed the holoplate over his shoulder, knowing full well that Chadley would catch it. He strode towards Tseng’s office a little faster than he had planned. He didn’t want to miss a second, but he didn’t want to make it obvious.

Kicking the doors open, Reno charged in, locked and loaded. “Fuck you, Tseng!”

“Nice to see you again, Reno.”

“Leave me out there with plastic boy again and I will take a huge shit on your desk which I KNOW is making up for something!” Reno’s crass threat sliced through the tension that lingered from Elena’s interrogation.

“Elena is suffering from a genuine case of amnesia,” Tseng stated. Simply, stated. Without prompting, he had answered the question Reno had been intending to ask, though not in front of Elena.

_Lena._ Reno looked at the new recruit. She seemed paralysed in her seat. Tears ran down her cheeks as she stared at the floor. _She isn’t afraid,_ Reno thought. _She’s sad._

“I’ll issue a number to Elena, and a card, today,” Tseng spoke. “I submitted Elena’s profile to the guild in advance, and they’ve voted unanimously to accept her. You and Rude should take her to the sommelier soon, get her the tools of the trade.”

“That all?” Reno walked up to Tseng, resisting the temptation to grab that crisp white collar and wring the truth out of the stoic man.

“Ms Canaan will have Elena’s card ready in five minutes,” Tseng smiled. “Happy hunting.”

“Lena, say ‘thank you’ to the nice man and let’s go... Lena?” on failing to detect a witty quip from the blonde, Reno turned around. Elena had vacated the chair and was already out the door.

_Maybe you can forget what happened, but you'll always remember how it made you feel_. 

* * *

**3pm, Day 69, Year 6 ADM**

Elena was drunk off her face.

Reno was well acquainted with the ways in which one could get completely wasted, but the way Elena made those shots disappear was frightening even to him. 

“I saw you making out…” Elena slurred, leaning her bodyweight over the table.

Reno spewed his usual bile about wanting to stick his dick in anything from married couples to rotisserie chicken in hopes of avoiding the topic of him and Rude altogether. It worked, of course. He’d spotted the sommelier and needed to get a hold of her before she left with her squadron. Reno considered stopping to give Elena, whose expression only read of sadness since their meeting with Tseng, a hug. But, he opted to climb over her and get to work. _This isn’t the time._

“Hey there, rogue. I need to suit up a newbie. When are you and the flyboys skipping town?” Reno pulled up to his target and parked himself on a barstool next to one Jessie Rasberry, armaments expert and starfighter extraordinaire.

“That’s ‘Rogue Leader’ to you,” Jessie gave Reno a coy smile.

“Everyone’s getting a promotion these days!” Reno mock gasped, clasping his hands together.

“We’re leaving for Corel in forty-eight hours. News about a spicy new drug going around. We’ll alert the guild if anything needs cleaning up, don’t you worry.”

“Can you deliver a full suit before then? The usual, tactical. Automatic firearms too, I think. And something else,” Reno gestured to the table he’d just left. Taking his cue, Jessie leaned in, pressing her titanium breastplate to Reno’s chest.

“Is it for her?” she whispered into Reno’s ear while looking over to where Rude and Elena were sitting. “She looks young. Small. I can never pin down your type.”

“Yes. And, one more thing,” Reno slid a tiny data chip into Jessie’s back pocket. “I need the pilot’s log extracted. Not the one on the surface. Go as deep as you can.”

“Oh, I always do,” Jessie pushed Reno off and strutted past Rude, claiming the bald man’s spot across Elena. 

* * *

**6.15 am, Day 70, Year 6 ADM**

The Junon sun was just beginning to rise over the western harbour, bathing the water’s surface in an orange glow that matched its cloud streaked sky. Reno sat outside Turk HQ, legs dangling over the water, sucking in his first smoke in a while. Rude had been begging him to quit, and Reno had been trying his best to stay away from the addictive burn for as long as his partner was in front of him. These past few days just had him sleeping with one eye open, and he felt worn down.

“Got the log for you. Took all night. I’m charging you extra,” Jessie’s voice mingled with the squawking of seagulls as she approached the otherwise quiet dock. Some might have called the ambience ‘refreshing’, but not Reno.

“Including the suit and accessories, what’s the damage?” Reno breathed in deep, then put the stub out against the concrete.

“Twenty-five thousand gil,” Jessie sighed and put a metallic case down by Reno’s side. “You’re buying my silence too, you see.”

“Naturally.”

“What are you doing with an old Shinra ship?” Jessie rested her hand on the gun holster strapped to her thigh.

“What did you find?” Reno asked, opening the case to inspect the goods. A suit cut to Elena’s exact size, a pair of handguns, several magazines, gloves, boots, knives. Jessie was the best weapons sommelier in the galaxy, and they were damn lucky she was still willing to lend her services to the guild.

“That ship started logging flight again five days ago. It was dormant for more than five years before that. Whoever used it shut it off the day Midgar died. Two hours after the Mako reactors went off that is.”

“Five days? Not like, a week or more?” Reno frowned at the news. _Elena thinks she was out there for at least six before we found her. Her memory was wiped just five days ago? Fuck me._

“Does Tseng know what you’re doing?” Reno could hear the click of Jessie’s safety changing position.

“Yea. He put us on this. I don’t understand it. Do you?”

“No. But, if Tseng is behind this, we should probably play along,” Jessie put the safety back on and walked away. “I expect the money in my account by noon.”

“See ya later, Rogue Leader.” Reno picked up the case and headed back inside. He had far too much to process.


	14. Our Idiot Brother

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Time for some R&R with R&R. Rude reconnects with family and Elena lets her hair down. How will Reno handle their new party dynamic?
> 
> IT'S THE BEACH EPISODE, Y'ALL!!! I went nuts with some references in this chapter. If anyone has read One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez, you will pick them up in the very first line. HAH. I was also pleasantly surprised by the appearance of one of my favourite NPCs in this chapter, like, he literally came out of nowhere for me while writing. Plus, sincere thank yous are in order to the genius on tumblr who incepted this work's family headcanon in my mind. I love it, and I see it!
> 
> If you've stuck around for the past few chapters, you'll know what's coming up next. I'll likely have to bump the rating up to E, but it depends on how well I think I can pull off the details. Fingers still crossed. Also, updated the summary. 
> 
> Here's a no context spoiler for this chapter: https://tenor.com/view/captain-america-peggy-carter-peggy-peggy-touch-peggy-perv-gif-13582809 
> 
> ♪ Brasstracks - Golden Ticket (feat. Masego & Common) ♪

Ursula and her sons lived on Costa Del Sol in peace. Their family had for generations since humans colonised New Gaia. To Ursula, family was the reason for everything and anything, and her boys learnt that from birth. Her eldest, with his charisma and intelligence, made his mark on not just Costa, but also the rest of the galaxy, and people would come from far and wide just to see him, to bask in his presence. Her youngest, with his innocence and dedication, sought perfection in body and soul, training himself and others while supporting his siblings in all their endeavours. Her middle son, with his strength and passion, was arguably her favourite, and he, resembling his father the most, grew to become the fiercest protector of their dynasty.

Sadly, Rude also grew to become Ursula’s greatest heartbreak.

Pillars of the community, Ursula and her boys, in another time and place, might have been considered royalty. But this was a galaxy governed, under the table, by money, and thus by Shinra. For the most part, Ursula never minded this. The planets chosen to be converted into mako stores were barren wastelands to begin with, and Costa was far from that. Costa was a sapphire in the obsidian sky.

Costa del Sol was, and is, paradise. Pristine waters, clean air, comfortable climate, bountiful flora and, most importantly, safety. Why would anyone choose to leave?

Why did Rude choose to leave?

Ursula knew why, as did her two other boys. And though her most beloved son promised to return at least once a Gaia year to see them, to see her, she could never forgive the one responsible for stealing him away.

If she had known that letting Rude invite his scrappy little friend from school home for a meal or two a week would lead him down a bloodstained path. If she had known that the child who repeatedly failed to be adopted, who came from prison stock, whose parents must have been the definition of scum and villainy, would sink his fangs so deep into Rude, her Rude.

If she had known.

* * *

**11.30 am, Day 84, Year 6 ADM**

Within a fortnight, Elena had paid Reno back in full for the new gear the sommelier had supplied. He hadn’t exaggerated one bit when he told her bounty hunting was exceedingly profitable, that was, as long as you were good at it. And good the Turks were. Even more so now with Elena around.

Reno had learnt quickly to be careful to read for the ‘dead-or-alive’ clause in each brief before accepting new gigs. It had not taken long to realise that Elena was decisive and deadly, and that though he and Rude often assured her there was no real need to completely incapacitate their targets, their newbie seemed to have a penchant for chocking up fatalities.

Reno would be lying if he said this did not bother him. They never discussed it openly, but it had been a long time since either he or Rude had taken any lives. The two Turks were well capable of killing, and they had in the past without question. But, a post-Shinra galaxy demanded that they look back on their past and reflect, no, repent. Reno did not want to have to kill people anymore. Neither did Rude.

In this aspect alone, Elena appeared not to align with this new age of Turks.

“Why are we headed to Costa Del Sol for a whole week? Is the next job a big one?” Elena asked, closing the holo of her latest account details and turning her attention to a projection of their destination.

“Time for some R&R. You deserve it! We’re hitting the beach!” Reno gazed at the glowing orb and swooned.

“Elena, this is my home planet,” Rude added. At this, Elena smiled.

“Rude, this is awesome! Are you visiting your family? Your parents?” she cheered, sounding more childlike than she ever had until that point.

“Yes, my brothers still live there. My mother passed away a few years ago, but we visit her grave,” Rude smiled back, resting a hand on Elena’s shoulder. Elena nodded, message received. Rude had come to terms with his mother’s death a long time ago, and there was nothing for her to feel bad or embarrassed about. “Reno grew up on Costa Del Sol too.”

“Naaaaah. I didn’t stay for long,” Reno scratched the back of his head and turned away. Rude had hit on a bit of a sore spot by mentioning his relationship with paradise-planet.

Elena looked to Reno in curiosity, then back to Rude, asking, “Are you close? You and your brothers, I mean.”

“Very. There’s no bond stronger than family,” Rude closed the holo and breathed in deep.

“You need a swimsuit. Let’s go shopping when we get to the surface,” Reno narrowed his eyes at Elena, visualising a cut that would suit her best. “Maybe a two-piece? Wait… Can you swim? Shit… do you need those floaty arm band things?”

“Of course, I… think I can swim…”

“Only one way to find out,” Rude chuckled, and so did his companions.

* * *

**9 am, Day 85, Year 6 ADM**

Costa Del Sol authorities didn’t often let large freighters or carriers dock on the water, but they would make an exception for a son of Costa on his annual pilgrimage. Turk HQ was parked off the shore of Macondo, Costa’s oldest settlement and centre of commerce and entertainment.

After opening a hatch on the side, Elena climbed out and leapt into the water. The boys were shocked at her lack of inhibitions. They had severely underestimated her excitement at seeing the blue waters, probably for the first time, and were fairly sure their hearts stopped when she disappeared under the water’s surface for a few seconds, under a burst of froth and bubbles.

“THIS PLACE IS FUCKING BEAUTIFUL!” she called out from below, allowing Reno and Rude to breathe a collective sigh of relief. Elena could swim.

When they regrouped on land, Rude was dressed down in a tank top, surf shorts and flipflops, the light somehow making him look more muscular than his suit ever allowed. Elena unconsciously reached out and touched his left pectoral.

“Want to change into something dry?” Rude asked, causing Elena to blush and finally notice that she had moved her hand over to his bicep, then forearm, mouth hanging open the whole time.

“No. YES!” Elena squeaked. She bolted past Reno, nearly bowling him over as she re-entered their ship.

Reno sauntered over to his partner, smirking.

“You two been spending a loooot of time together,” Reno elbowed Rude’s flank. The redhead was wearing a gaudy, chocobo-print shirt, unbuttoned, and loose khaki slacks. He had noted their training sessions and chats in the rec area. He hadn’t yet decided how he felt about Rude and Elena’s burgeoning relationship. He still had to factor in her likely past dealings with Tseng. _The girl has spun an invisible web and gotten herself trapped in its centre. She doesn’t have a damn clue._

“She’s a great fighter. You should spar with her.”

“Oh? Have you ‘sparred’ with her?” Reno leaned in and breathed, scrutinising Rude for any non-verbal responses.

“Not in the way you’re implying. Elena’s become a good friend. And, besides, she has her eyes on Tseng,” Rude replied frankly, adjusting his sunglasses.

Reno hummed, permitting Rude freedom to interpret his own take on the rookie.

Minutes later, Elena emerged from the ship. Standard issue shirt and pants on. _Boring_ , Reno frowned _._ “We’re on holiday!” he demanded. “How dare you! Ugh, you are killing me.”

“This is all I have,” Elena mirrored his displeasure and sniffed at her superior. “Why do you care so much about what I look like?”

“Don’t ruin the scenery with your… Never mind. Just do like… OK… and tie here. Fold up… Um, yea… fine. This’ll do,” Reno ducked around Elena and adjusted her garments, applying a finishing touch by tousling her saltwater-damp hair.

Elena looked down to appraise her newly fashioned crop top and makeshift capris. Hissing, Reno pinched her cheeks and spun around, signalling for the Turks to follow his lead into the town centre.

“Shall we?” Rude said, offering an arm to Elena, one which she gladly clung to.

* * *

**8 pm, Day 85, Year 6 ADM**

Rumour has it that there’s a two-year waitlist to meet Andrea. Truth is that it’s actually three. Andrea Rhodea established himself as the galaxy’s premier entertainer at the young age of 20. Dancer, singer, writer, designer, restauranteur, club owner, Andrea did it all. His empire spanned well beyond Costa Del Sol, but the blue planet would always be his home, where his family had grown their roots.

It was only natural for Andrea to welcome Rude back every year with open arms and a warm heart. His younger brother, Costa’s most prominent wayward son, was still deserving of every ounce of love he could give since their mother’s passing.

The same could not be said for Reno, and this strange, small thing Rude had hanging off his arm. The middle son of Ursula always had a habit of picking up strays. Andrea could only grimace.

“You could do with visiting more than once a year, Rude,” Andrea hugged his taller and broader brother. “Still, it’s good to see you. It always is.”

“How are things here? Sorry, I’ve been busy,” Rude replied while being released from Andrea’s embrace, finding that his older brother was assessing Elena.

“I can see that. Are you going to introduce me to this…”

“Fixer-upper?” Reno interjected.

“And, which member of staff let you in this time? Wait. Don’t answer that, you energy vampire. I don’t want to know,” Andrea stared draggers at Reno before turning his attention back to Elena.

“My name’s Elena. I just joined the Turks. It’s great to meet you, Andrea. Rude’s told me a lot about you and your work. I am beyond blown away. This place, wow. I am speechless,” Elena gushed, eyes sparkling. The aerial dancers, choreographed performances, the ambience, the quality of service, drinks, music – it was no wonder the Honeybee Inn had a queue that seemed to stretch on and on. 

“Oh, you’ve recently joined this motley crew? I didn’t know they were still hiring. I was under the impression that the group would have _disbanded_ by now seeing as how it no longer serves any _real_ purpose,” Andrea took Elena’s hand and guided her to a private booth, the venom in his voice still aimed at Reno. 

“Be nice, big brother,” Rude sighed.

“I am as nice as I need to be, Rude. Elena, I will return. You enjoy yourselves. Everything is on the house,” Andrea kissed the young blonde’s hand and departed in a flourish, his bevy of assistants, all dressed in matching black and gold attire, buzzing after him. 

Elena was effectively spellbound. The three of them had spent the day outside for the most part, and Elena had a constellation of new freckles across her cheeks and nose to show for it. Her eyes had been feasting on crystal waters, white sand and lush greenery, and now that the sun had set she was treated to a completely different side of Costa, one of glamour, indulgence and so much sensory stimulation. An awkward silence hung between Rude and Reno for a while once Andrea had left, but Elena detected none of it. She was too enamoured with this place, the Inn, and of course its offering of spirits.

“I think I’ll have a Tonberry Tequila Sunrise,” Elena poked at the holo-menu at the centre of their table.

“That one’s for closers, Lena. Yo, I don’t think I’ve ever told you about our codes. Now’s a good time, probably,” Reno slapped a smile on his face and broke the subtle silence.

“Codes for?”

“Communicating, duh. Okay, we use it for work, but also play, ya know what I mean,” Reno winked. “We’ll start with beer. Beer means ‘surveying’. G&T means ‘target acquired’. Margarita means ‘I got this’. Bloody Mary means ‘I don’t got this’ or ‘help’. Sidecar means ‘wanna join for a threesome’. Tequila Sunrise means ‘take me home’.”

“These codes are clearly not for work. Do you think about anything other than sex?” Elena frowns and goes ahead with her order of that extra strong Tonberry Tequila cocktail.

“Yes, they are for work. And, yes, I do. If I twirl my hair or if Rude taps the side of his shades, it means ‘message received’. You need to come up with your signal,” Reno goes on and punches in his order for beers for both him and Rude.

Elena purses her lips in thought, tucking her hair behind her left ear.

“Naaah, you do that all the time. It’s gotta be something you hardly do.”

“That wasn’t... Never mind. I’ll let you know when I come up with something,” Elena frowned and went back to scanning the holo-menu, ordering another drink, and another.

“Want to dance, Elena?” Rude rose from the curved bench of their booth and stretched his hand out to the clearing at the centre of the Inn. The performance platform had made way for a glittering hexagon, and patrons were already flocking to the space.

It did not take Elena two seconds to squeeze past Reno and drag Rude to the dance floor, a girlish grin on her face and a pink flush on her cheeks.

Rude was an excellent dancer. There was no question that he was Andrea Rhodea’s brother by blood. Elena wasn’t too bad herself, but their difference in height made them somewhat of an odd couple in Reno’s eyes. When she leaned into Rude, he noticed that she only came up to his chest. _Cute_.

At work, Elena was all business. She wasn’t the most refined negotiator or interrogator, but her skills with weaponry and hand-to-hand combat were top-notch. Reno had hardly been in the presence of fun-mode Elena before arriving at Costa, that drunken episode on Junon didn’t count, and he was grateful that she even existed. _Hope she sticks around_ , he found himself thinking. This thought led Reno to another, which caught him off guard – _I like this Elena._

As the two moved to the music, Reno saw that Elena’s smile never broke. Not even for a second. The memory of her tearing up in Tseng’s office popped up again, and Reno wondered what had gone wrong there. He could imagine a whole plethora of scenarios, but for now it seemed like a whole lot of work and all Reno wanted to do was to enjoy the moment. _We’re here on holiday. No hunting. No work. No Tseng._

“Sure you can manage all these by yourself?” a server appeared next to Reno. Balancing two beers and three frightfully colourful cocktails on a tray must not have been easy, because Reno had to reach out and support the man as he bent over the table to place the drinks.

“Oh, you should see how much I can take,” Reno quipped, eyeing the brunette. The man’s tan skin and chiselled jawline were captivating. As he grinned, his eyes almost squinted to a close, highlighting a pair of full, perfectly sculpted brows. Andrea’s hatred always stung, but Reno made a mental note to thank the entrepreneur for his decision to have his male servers go topless whenever possible. This one’s abs were perfection.

“I’m Biggs. I’ll be your dedicated server for the night. Let me know if there’s anything you need. I’m all yours,” the man winked.

“Can I add on a G&T? Thanks, big boy,” Reno winked back. _You can be all mine, alright._

“Name’s B- OH. Heh, gotcha. One G&T coming right up.” He was even more charming when he blushed.

Rude slid back into their booth once Biggs left, sans Elena. She was still on the dance floor, having swapped Rude out for an even taller, buffer and far more feminine, raven-haired individual. Reno instantly recognised Jules, who gave him a silent nod of acknowledgement. Jules had always been far less cruel than Andrea, and Reno appreciated his passivity.

“Done putting the moves on tiny so soon?” Reno teased, taking a swig of his beer. 

“No such agenda,” Rude replied, mimicking his partner’s move, downing nearly half the glass.

“What time are you leaving tomorrow?”

“Late morning. Andrea’s got some business to wrap up before going radio silent. Jules needs to lock up the gym. We’ll be back in three days, roughly. You sure about not coming along?” Rude looked to Reno, pulling his sunglasses down his nose bridge.

“Thanks for asking every time, but the answer’s always the same. I think your mom would turn in her grave if I showed up,” Reno emptied the glass, blowing a subtle kiss to Biggs when he returned with his next order.

“You know, this is the first time in years you won’t be alone here.”

“If you’re going to tell me that I’m trying to get lost in other people again, can you at least do it quickly?” Reno snarled, visibly annoyed.

“If you want to go out and have your fun, I can’t stop you. But, maybe, take care of Elena. She’s... Hmm.”

“Spit it out,” Reno was at the end of his rope, slamming his tumbler on the surface, spilling some of its contents.

“She’s not in a great place. I don’t entirely understand it. Anyway, if you do end up sleeping with Elena, go easy. We have no idea what she’s been through,” Rude expounded.

“What the fuck? Where’s this coming from? Why do you think I’m going to screw Elena?” Reno was practically gasping as he persisted in his interrogation. “What did she tell you? Does she want to… Is that why you haven’t? You know it doesn’t bother me, right? Wait, please, I am very... What?”

“I’ve just been noticing that _you’ve_ been noticing a lot of things about her. And, you two seem to get along. It’s cute,” Rude shrugged.

_THAT’S BECAUSE SHE’S A MOLE THAT’S BEEN PLANTED BY TSENG TO ROCK THE DAMN BOAT, YOU DUMBASS._ Reno resisted making a scene and remained mute. Whether subconsciously or purposefully, Reno’s eyes found Elena in the crush of dancers. For two seconds, it was only her he could see clearly, and this sent a shiver down his spine.

“If you run out of protection, you can get more from my room,” Rude finished his drink and got up. “You shouldn’t be afraid of letting yourself feel things again, Reno. Even if it isn’t with me.”

“Have a nice trip with your brothers,” Reno said, voice unadorned.

Without uttering another word, Rude returned to the dance floor.


	15. Living with Yourself

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Reno does hook up, and he does so to avoid complicated feelings. The problem is that one of those complicated feelings has asked for a hook up. Reno hates when Rude is right.
> 
> From here on out, this fic is rated E! Tags/Warnings to be added where applicable, but it's all pretty vanilla... for now! I had intended for the Costa incident to last only one chapter, but it looks like I'll be spreading it out over two! 
> 
> Are you as angry at Elena as I am? Or maybe I just miss writing from her perspective?
> 
> ♪ Hozier – In the Woods Somewhere ♪
> 
> ♪ Radiohead – Everything in Its Right Place ♪

**1 am, Day 86, Year 6 ADM**

Reno wasn’t picky when it came to location. It was however a little disconcerting to find that Biggs had a day job, and that his apartment was across the street from it. It was a street Reno had been down hundreds of times as a kid, before he realised exactly what kind of regard the universe held him in.

“So, uh, I actually have to get up in five hours. I mean, you’re welcome to stick around, have some breakfast after, you know. Sorry the place looks like this. Teaching doesn’t exactly pay the bills, hence,” Biggs alluded to his part-time stint as a HoneyBoy and ushered his guest in, bolting the door shut behind them.

“Your dirty talk needs work,” Reno snickered. He peeled off his shirt, slipped out of his shoes and entered the humble abode.

“Haha, yea, I guess it does,” Biggs had his eyes cast downward, and there was a waver in his voice.

“We don’t have a lot of time. You still good for this?” Reno sidled close to Biggs and wrapped his hand around the back of the man’s neck, pulling him in for a kiss. The contact was warm and pleasant enough.

Nodding, Biggs pressed his lips against Reno’s and let his hands drift down the paler man’s torso till they reached the zipper of his pants. They deepened their kiss, parting lips so their tongues could meet. The silence of the darkened apartment seemed to amplify their soft moans and quick breaths as they allowed each other to feel for sensitive spots on the nape, the lower back, between the thighs.

“Like getting your cock sucked? I’m sure you do,” Reno broke their kiss and pushed Biggs up against a wall. They were essentially the same height, and of similar build, so it wasn’t hard to manipulate Biggs into the perfect position. Also, he was highly suggestible.

On his knees, Reno hovered closer to the other man’s crotch and unzipped his dark jeans, revealing a long, thick cock, hard, with a slight curve to the right. Reno ran his tongue along the underside of Biggs’s shaft, eyes open so he could watch every subtle change in his subject’s facial expressions. He was well rewarded for the effort as Biggs leaned his head back and inhaled sharply, his abdominal muscles tensing slightly at the sensation Reno was delivering.

Licking around the head, Reno guided Biggs’s hands to the back of his own neck and whispered, making eye contact, “Want to see how much I can take?”

The man standing responded by thrusting his length into Reno’s waiting mouth. Reno’s hands reached around to grab the other man’s ass as he felt his throat fill up. The motion made his mind go blank. It was precisely what he had been looking for.

Biggs stilled his hips, breathing heavy and caressing Reno’s cheek. He wasn’t the type to keep taking, but the position he was in didn’t allow for much reciprocation. The redhead looked up, no, glared up at the brunette. Fire in his eyes, he inched forward, swallowing Bigg’s cock whole.

“Fuck, you weren’t kidding,” Biggs breathed, legs trembling as Reno proceeded to bob his head back and forth, desperate to tease an orgasm out of his target. “You’re so fucking good. Shiva.”

Reno sucked hard, tasting the precum and feeling the bulge of each vein in the other man’s erection on his tongue. For someone with canines as sharp as his, he was good at making sure his soft lips stayed in contact with the skin. Reno had had a lot of practice over the years, and every groan and whine from Biggs paid compliment to his skill.

Reno kept up the pace, drawing heavier and heavier breaths from Biggs until he felt the base of the cock he had surrounded with his lips twitch, and the grip at the back of his neck tighten.

“I’m gonna come… fuck….”

Reno pulled back and caught the semen in his open mouth, keeping his tongue pressed firmly at the tip of Biggs’s cock. Staring up at Biggs, who was now panting and wiping the sweat off his brow with a weak wrist, Reno swallowed and licked his lips.

“Do you have lube? Condoms?” Reno rose to his feet, pinning a worn Biggs against the wall again.

“Yea. Oh Shiva. Yes. Bedside table,” Biggs gestured haphazardly to the bedroom, struggling to compose himself.

“Good. Do you like to be in charge?” Reno purred, licking up Bigg’s jawline, and around the curve of his left ear. “I want you to fuck me in the ass.”

His eyes widened at the proposition. Who was Biggs to turn this beautiful devil down?

Now fully undressed, the two men fell into bed. It was cosy, a single sleeper, but comfortable. They kissed, more fiercely now than when they were at the door. Reno never liked to mess with anyone inexperienced, and fortunately Biggs knew his way around another man’s body. The way he pumped Reno’s cock and applied pressure to his asshole with a well-lubricated finger put the bounty hunter at ease.

_If you want to go out and have your fun..._

Reno winced as Biggs pushed a finger into him. It wasn’t always painless, but that was part of the experience. With pain comes pleasure, after all. “That all you got?” Reno taunted, biting his lower lip.

Biggs added another finger and scissored the two digits inside his partner for the evening. Reno’s mind went blank for a split-second. He needed more. Every wave of pleasure lingered at the surface briefly before dissipating, leaving him hungry. He rocked his hips against each movement of Biggs’s arm, hoping for him to reach deeper.

_If you do end up sleeping with Elena…_

“Gods. Stuff your cock in me! I need it,” Reno barked, fighting back the notions Rude had planted earlier that night. They were gaining clarity with each stroke. Hazy forms solidified into human shapes pressed together, intertwined, and remarkably familiar.

_…_ _go easy._

At Biggs’s suggestion, Reno got on all fours and leaned forward. He could hear the ripping open of a condom packet and the squelch of more lube being applied to his stretched hole.

_Wow, Reno. Do better._ A smirk. Pink lips curled in one corner, and a quiet laugh that echoed down a dark hallway. Hazel eyes that he looked for in a crowd. Blonde hair that he could run his fingers through. The sound of breathing, of a deep sleep, calm, and worst of all, trusting.

Reno wanted to scream, feeling Biggs’s thick member penetrate him. This was exactly what he had sought out that night, walking into the HoneyBee Inn, sifting through the new faces and perfect bodies. This was exactly what he had sought out in men and women, in bars, clubs, hotel rooms and back alleys across the galaxy.

A bright, expansive emptiness where he could escape. This is exactly where Reno had sought to end up.

_You shouldn’t be afraid of letting yourself feel things again, Reno. Even if it isn’t with me._

* * *

**12.40 pm, Day 86, Year 6 ADM**

Reno walked back to Turk HQ with goggles firmly placed over his eyes. A little bloodshot and sensitive from the night’s exertions, they would take a while to adjust to the natural light when he exited Biggs’s building. As promised, Biggs had left when the sun rose and headed off to Leaf House. Reno laughed as he recalled the look of horror on the dark-haired man’s face hours earlier.

“Hey, uh… I don’t think I got your name,” Biggs had asked as he pulled his pants on in the blue light of morning.

“You can look it up in the year book from fifteen years ago,” Reno put on a twisted smile and stretched out a yawn.

Biggs was capable of donning a delightful range of expressions, and Reno had borne witness to many of them in the time they had spent together. _Biggs would be a great catch for someone, not me, but someone,_ he thought. They exchanged some obligatory platitudes and left things at that. Reno let himself out after treating himself to some leftover pizza from the fridge.

Strolling up the ramp into Turk HQ, Reno ran through his options. He could pass out in his room or on the beach, get wasted, feed himself, get a massage, get laid again, typical holiday fare.

“… the issue of mako energy is one that we are not taking lightly, I promise you that…” an emphatic, masculine voice echoed down the hall, originating from the holo-room. _Rude should have departed from Macondo with Andrea and Jules by now._

“… each planet is encouraged to continue seeking out alternative and sustainable sources of energy… Until a solution is found, the WRO will maintain control over the mako stores to ensure the safety and stability of their neighbouring planets…”

Reeve Tuesti was standing at a podium on Junon, dozens of microphones cluttering the space in front of him, answering the same probing questions as always. Why continue to charge for mako when the stores are supposedly infinite? Why not outlaw the use of mako? Can you confirm that mako is made up of the dead bodies of our loved ones? Why aren’t more former Shinra employees being charged for their crimes? Why haven’t you brought what’s left of Shinra’s inner circle to justice? Aren’t Avalanche and the WRO just another Shinra?

_How does he do it?_ Reno never really got Reeve’s deal. It was no secret that half the galaxy despised him for having been a high ranking official in the Shinra government, albeit a mole for Avalanche. After so many years, the man could still find the courage to stand in front of billions as they flung mud in his face and wished him dead.

Alone in the holo-room sat Elena, the cool light illuminating her face. She looked like she had been on her way somewhere, wearing the swimsuit she’d bought the day before with a towel draped around her neck, and stopped to check the local broadcasts only to get caught up in some dry press conference for some reason. _Oh, I see._

Behind Reeve, just out of focus was a man in a black suit, still and statuesque. Tseng’s presence was unmistakable.

“Hey, Elena,” Reno said casually, stepping into the room.

“Hey…” Elena replied lifelessly. Her stare remained unbroken, and it was starting to get on Reno’s nerves.

“HEY, ELENA!” Maybe shouting would help.

“AHHH! Reno! How long have you been standing there? When did you get back? Shiva, you scared the shit out me!” Elena finally looked in his direction, shutting off the holo.

“Just. You going for a swim? You know the water’s that way, right?”

“Uh… Yea, I know,” Elena got up and squeezed the ends of the towel. “Did you have a good time last night?”

As she stood, Reno got a better look at the swimwear she’d chosen for herself. Elena insisted on buying it off the rack and not trying it on. A modest navy one piece with white trim and straps that crossed over her back wouldn’t have been Reno’s first choice, but he struggled to tear his eyes away from the way it hugged her hips. Coughing, he looked down and took off his goggles.

“You might want to use these, yo. For looking at the reef underwater. It’s nice,” Reno held the goggles out to Elena.

“Thanks. Rude made some coffee, left it in the rec room,” Elena took the pair off his hands and stated.

“Cool,” Reno nodded.

The two of them stood in the holo-room for a few seconds, in the cumbersome quiet, until Elena spoke up again.

“Hmm. See you later?” Elena tilted her head, tucking her hair behind her ear.

“Oh, you finally got studs to fill your earlobe holes,” Reno caught sight of the small blue orbs flecked with white and gold.

“Yes! Do you think it looks like the night sky? Andrea came by with them this morning. He said the stone suited me, since I basically fell out of the sky! Haha,” Elena smiled, her cheeks taking on some warmth. “Thanks for noticing.”

_You’ve been noticing a lot of things about her._

“See you later.” Reno promptly headed for the showers. He hadn’t expected the need to clear his head to arise again this soon.

* * *

**8.15 pm, Day 86, Year 6 ADM**

Elena hadn’t really expected an answer when she knocked on the door to Reno’s room, so when he opened it, shirtless and hair a mess, she was momentarily lost for words.

“Uh… I saw a place in town selling huge monster subs. I’m not sure I can finish one on my own, so… Wanna share?” Elena grinned with unease.

“Is this dress another gift from Andrea?” Reno studied the yellow sundress Elena was wearing.

“From Jules. He said I might as well have it since he’s outgrown it, but… I can’t imagine him ever fitting into something that fits me,” Elena smoothed the pleats of the skirt and laughed.

“If I didn’t know any better, I’d say those two were trying to get in your pants,” Reno reached out and moved the right strap into a more secure position on Elena’s shoulder. _Why the fuck did I do that?!_

“Um, about the food?”

“Yes, I’m in. You’re paying, right?” Reno had turned away from her so fast, he felt a little disoriented in his own space. He grabbed a t-shirt from a pile of washed apparel and put it on hastily. He was hungry, and that was why he was going along with Elena’s invitation, is what he assured himself.

The row of outdoor street food vendors facing the water was something that had popped up in the last year. Macondo was constantly expanding and improving. The more money the HoneyBee Inn brought in, the more the town seemed to thrive.

This new district was undoubtedly more family friendly than the one the Inn occupied, but to both Reno and Elena’s relief, its small businesses served a decent assortment of alcoholic beverages. They sat down at a foldable table and were presented with two feet of cylindrical bread sliced lengthwise and stuffed with greens, garnishes and a whole purple-blue tentacle from _something_. Beer paired perfectly with this Costa favourite.

Added to the sounds around the two companions were their audible gulps and the crunching of crust as they bit into their respective halves of the monstrous sandwich. A casual observer might have thought that Reno and Elena were competing in a speed eating contest because they finished their portions and downed their pints wordlessly, and in record time. Abruptly, Reno stood up.

“I’m getting more beer. You want a refill?” Reno picked up his glass and hovered a hand over Elena’s.

“Yuurrrp,” Elena belched.

“You’re gross,” Reno grabbed her glass and went back to the counter. He’d been dreading having to spend time with Elena, without Rude, since he left them at the Inn to meet up with Biggs, but things so far had been very manageable. Reno felt he could breathe easy knowing that he had worked himself up over nothing.

“Didn’t think I’d bump into you here, stranger.”

Reno looked at the man who had pulled up next to him. It was Biggs.

“Heeeey. Fancy seeing you again so soon. Is this fate bringing us together?” Reno humoured him.

“Crazy coincidence,” Biggs’s eyes seemed to wander past Reno. “Are you on a date? She’s pretty.”

“Oh no no no no no no no. That’s Karen from finance. We’re talking work stuff. Business, you know. The economy and profit margins. Overheads,” Reno didn’t feel like explaining the whole bounty hunter lifestyle to a one-night-stand.

“Okaaaay. Have a good time, regardless,” Biggs smiled, recognising a dead-end when he walked into one. “Oh, and, I still don’t know your name. No redheads in any of the year books, or at least the ones I dared to look through. Haha.”

_You’re not the most observant, are you, pretty boy?_ “Gotta go! Nice seeing ya,” Reno picked up the refilled pints and excused himself, not bothering to check if he’d been a tad too harsh.

“Is that the guy you hooked up with last night?” Elena asked, eyes following Biggs as he went off in another direction. “Shit, Reno, he’s hot!”

“You think everyone is hot. Yet, somehow, you do absolutely nothing about it,” Reno tutted, lifting the fresh pint to his lips.

“You don’t know that,” Elena protested, lowering her head to slurp up the foam from the brim of her glass.

“Hah, and you do?” Reno raised an eyebrow, and immediately regretted running his mouth. Elena’s eyes darkened as if he’d unlocked some kind of cognitive door in her mind, unleashing all manner of unpleasant memory. He was about to apologise when Elena picked up her beer in both hands and downed the entire glass in one breath, then grabbed his and finished that as well.

“Hahaha! Gimme another!” Elena cheered, slamming the empty glass down on the table, nearly causing the flimsy frame to collapse. Reno, and anyone within a ten foot radius of them, looked at the tiny drunk with visible concern. _What have I done?! I have created a monster._

“Let’s go home, Lena. I’m tired. You must be too,” he tried to get her to stand, and she did, but not without having to clutch at the fabric of his shirt.

“Whuzzat you’re supposed to order? Tequila Sunfries? B-Because you want to take me home?” Elena slurred, making no attempt to conceal her inebriation.

“Tequila Sunrise. That’s for when _you_ want _me_ to take _you_ home,” Reno replied confidently at first, then paused. _Or is it the other way around?_ Reno shook it off and guided Elena back to Turk HQ.

He couldn’t help but sigh and laugh at the whole situation as he pushed her, all floppy limbs and wobbly midsection, up the ramp and laid her down in her bed before going back to his own room. _Fun Elena can be a little much. Still fun though._

Reno stripped down to his boxers and tucked himself in, feeling more relaxed now that he was sure the storm had passed.

* * *

**3.17 am, Day 87, Year 6 ADM**

Reno woke up to the sound of knocking at his door. Fumbling around in the darkness, he pressed the button to slide the door open. The light in the corridor was dimmed, but he could still see clearly enough Elena standing there in a clean set of clothes, and detect the lingering scent of toothpaste and soap on her.

“Why are you up? Ya feeling okay?” Reno rubbed his eyes and rested a palm on top of her head.

“Thanks for helping me get back in one piece. I went a little overboard. Can I come in?” Elena’s voice was steady enough for Reno to believe that she wasn’t going to toss the remnants of the monster sub onto him or his bedroom floor. He moved aside so she could enter. 

“Can’t sleep because Rude’s not here? I get that sometimes,” Reno sat on the edge of his bed and yawned.

“Reno, will you sleep with me?”

“Go to his room, grab a shirt and you’ll…” Reno’s automated response was cut short when he finally registered the words that had fallen out of Elena’s mouth. “Woah. Woah. Lena. Lena, what’s going on?”

“I’m just… I’ve been… I’ve been feeling conflicted about. Hmm, how do I put this…” Elena’s verbal stumbling woke Reno all the way up, and he looked at her straight in the eye. “I like someone, and I feel like I shouldn’t. It makes me uncomfortable, and I don’t want to keep feeling this way.”

“And you want to get over it by having sex with someone else?”

“Yes. Does that make sense?” Elena was still standing by the door, looking like she was going to make a break for it at any second.

“I guess it could work,” Reno thought aloud, standing and stepping over to where Elena was. _I do it all the time,_ he wanted to add. _And, I’m lying. It doesn’t work, not even a little._ He leaned down and pressed his lips against Elena’s forehead, placing his hands on her hips. With a slight push, Elena was back out the door. “But, not like this.”

“Wh-Why not?” Elena pleaded, trying to push back.

“We’ll talk when you’re sober and have slept. No point making drunken decisions only to wish you hadn’t later,” Reno moved to close the door.

“I’m sober now. I know what I’m asking for,” Elena insisted, a hint of desperation in her eyes.

“See you in a couple of hours,” Reno closed the door on Elena. His chest ached a little as he did.

Reno had drunk a total of one beer that evening because Elena had stolen what was mean to be his second. He was clearheaded enough by his usual standards, but this was far from the usual circumstances. It wasn’t like he had never fooled around with a fellow Turk, besides Rude. Or that the prospect of having sex with Elena had never crossed his mind before Rude brought it up, because it definitely had. It was complicated. Far too complicated to put into words at three in the morning.

He’d deal with it when the sun came up. Hopefully Elena would come to her senses by then. Hopefully he would too.


End file.
